The Companions' Mage
by lkuecrar
Summary: A young Breton, Isabelle, does the unthinkable: she joins the warriors of Jorvaskr as the first mage Companion. Life is going great, until a mysterious Imperial joins the Companions. Will the Companions' Mage rise to great heights, or will she fall to the insurmountable tasks set out before her? Follows the Companions quest line mainly, but with some deviations.
1. Chapter 1

AN: I'm on a roll! This was actually supposed to be a one-shot, but I think I might be incapable of that.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Elder Scroll series, because Bethesda already does.

* * *

My name is Isabelle. I'm a Breton mage, in Skyrim. That's usually enough to make people, stop and stare. But I took it one step further; I became one of the legendary Companions. I was born here, and have always dreamed of joining the ranks of the Companions. There was just one problem; the whole mage thing. The Companions were known for their hardy warriors that considered a weapon just an extension of their arm; I can barely lift a sword, and laugh at the thought of even trying to lift a war hammer.

My father tells me that even early on, I showed promise with my magic. When I was a baby, I summoned a familiar. When my mother came into my nursery the next morning, I was cuddled next to a ghostly dog. Needless to say, I've always been a bit of a handful. At the age of fifteen, a wild bear wandered onto our farm, which was a few miles west of Falkreath. I killed the bear after a deadly game of tag. I got my first scar on that day, and I'm the most proud of that scar still. I had the biggest scolding of my life after my parents returned from Falkreath that night, though.

My entire life I listened in awe as people would speak of the Companions and their heroic deeds. What I would give to become one! When I turned eighteen, my parents told me that I was an adult; this was their way of giving me permission to do what I wanted with my life.

Needless to say, the next morning I was saddled up on the family horse, and heading to Whiterun to join the fabled warriors.

* * *

When I arrived near Whiterun, I immediately saw a huge creature tearing up what looked to be a farm. I had never seen such a creature and, growing up on a farm made me realize how damaging this could be, decided I had to do something. When it saw me and started swinging its club towards me, I immediately charged up a lightning bolt. It stumbled backwards, and then became it enraged.

The giant charged me, and I just managed to get out of its path. Missing me just made it angrier, which I could see in its eyes. I summoned a flaming familiar to occupy the beast. The giant had a pretty strong swing, which I learned after it backhanded me like I was a fly. I couldn't get close, so I let my familiar fight up close, while I sniped with a conjured bow. After a while of conjure a familiar, run away in terror, conjure a bow, and then repeat, the beast finally fell.

Being naturally curious, I wanted to see the thing up close. I walked up to its body, when I heard footsteps. I turned around and was met with one of the biggest men I had ever seen. Next to him was a woman with intimidating war paint and flaming red hair. Neither of them looked more than five years older than me, at most. The woman began to speak.

"Farkas and I just watched you take down that giant by yourself. We're impressed." The woman stood tall, and I could immediately tell that she was a strong woman.

The man just grunted in agreement. My face flamed, and I stuttered out a thanks.

That's when the woman said something that made my day. "My name is Aela, and this is Farkas. We are members of the Companions, up in Whiterun." At this my eyes became the size of saucers. How embarrassing!

"M-m-myy n-n-name is Isabelle." I stuttered out.

Not noticing my socially awkward behavior, she said "And I think you would be a fine asset to our group." At this, I think my heart skipped a beat... or four.

The man finally spoke, and in a gruff voice said "If you want to join you should head to Whiterun, then head to Jorvaskr. It's pretty hard to miss."

All I could do was shake my head in an affirmative. I'd have to be sure to thank the Divines a lot tonight! After breaking out of my reverie, I noticed the woman, Aela, holding out a small bag of... coins?

"What is this?" I asked

"The payment for this job. We were sent to kill this giant by the owners of the farm. Since you killed it, you deserve the reward." she said in a matter-of-fact voice.

I could only thank her, and watch as the two of them turned and began to walk back to Whiterun.

* * *

On my arrival to Whiterun, I rented a small room at the Bannered Mare. It was only about four in the afternoon, and I needed some decent armor. I looked at the money Aela had given me. I'd be able to afford a full set of leather armor with it! I made my way down to the shop near the gate that I walked past earlier. Inside, I immediately got the armor I wanted and left. After my fight with the giant, I was drained. I headed straight back to my room. As soon as my head touched my pillow, I was dreaming of fights with giants, bears, and bandits.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: If you've read my other story, you'll probably notice the similarities between the protagonist in this story with the other. I always play with a Breton, that uses magic. It's just how I am.

* * *

My eyes popped open bright and early. Have you ever been unable to sleep well, because of anticipation for the next day? Well, I had that problem last night, so I finally just decided to get up. I saw my armor in the corner, and decided to try it on. After lacing it up, I walked out of my room and went into the center of town. There was a large tree standing in the middle, that looked dead. I wondered why it still stood; usually we cut down any dead trees near the farm for firewood. There was a chapel behind the tree, so I decided to go inside.

It was very early, and no one was wandering around in the sanctuary. I prayed at the altar for fifteen minutes asking for help with joining the Companions, before deciding to leave. I vowed to never lose my faith, regardless of what my new adventure could throw at me. When I stepped out of the temple, I noticed that people had begun to stir. There were children running in between houses, men and women alike setting up shop in the market district, and an impressively-loud priest of Talos.

The Companions' hall, Jorvaskr, sat proudly on top of a hill, overlooking the residential area of Whiterun. _It's now or never _I thought as I began walking towards the large building. Upon closer inspection, the hall looked like a ship. Ignoring the odd architecture, I went inside.

There was no one in the main hall except for an elderly woman. I guess it was kind of early. I approached the elderly woman, and asked who I needed to speak with about joining the Companions.

In a frail voice she replied, "My name is Tilma, but I'm afraid that I'm just the maid. You'll want to speak with Kodlak Whitemane; he is the Harbinger of the Companions."

"Thank you. Can you tell me where he would be?" I asked in a polite voice. On the outside, I had a calm mask in place. On the inside, I was a nervous wreck.

"Oh yes, silly me. He is down the stairs in the living quarters. Just walk all the way down the hall, and he will probably be sitting in the room at the end." she replied kindly.

"Thank you, Tilma." I said as I headed towards the stairs.

Upon entering the living quarters, I saw a room with sleeping people who I assumed to be new recruits. I began my trek down the hallway. As I reached the end of the hallway, I heard two men speaking.

I figured it was rude to eavesdrop, so I knocked on the door. The conversation inside immediately stopped, and I heard one of the men tell me to enter.

The first man I looked at was an older man, in very thick and bulky armor that looked to be made of steel. He had gray hair and a matching beard. I assumed this was Kodlak Whitemane, because the other man looked to be only a few years older than myself. He had black hair, and was wearing the same armor as the other man. His eyes were his most notable feature; a cold steel color filled his irises.

With a kind voice the older man said, "What is it you seek from us?"

In the strongest voice I could muster, I replied "I want to join the Companions."

At this, the younger man erupted into loud laughter. I sent a glare that could melt steel at him, which just caused his laughter to grow.

"Silence Vilkas!" the older man said. The man, Vilkas, immediately quieted, but wore a scowl on his face.

"What made you want to join us?" the man asked questioningly.

"I've always heard the tales, ever since I was a little girl. I've always dreamt of it." I replied honestly.

"I sense you have a strong will and heart. I ask that you show us your worth. Vilkas, take... What is your name?" he asked.

I simply replied "Isabelle."

"Vilkas take Isabelle here, out back and test her meddle. If she passes your expectations, she will be one of us." the man said authoritatively.

"You aren't serious? Look at how small she is, she probably can't even handle a weapon!" Vilkas said, affronted.

I immediately blushed scarlet. Either out of anger, or the fact that he pegged me perfectly.

"Vilkas, do as I say. You can never judge a book by its cover. Now go." Kodlak said again.

"Yes Kodlak." he said with a disgruntled sigh. Vilkas rose and began to walk at a quick pace towards the stairs that I descended just a few moments ago.

Vilkas led me out behind Jorvaskr to a training area, and told me to hurry up. _I'm going to wipe that smug smirk off your face_! I thought with my own smirk.

I immediately conjured a sword, and slashed at him. My inexperienced attack just sent him stumbling backwards with a yell, before he righted himself. _At least l got to use my magic somehow_, I thought while holding the ghostly purple sword.

"You asked for it!" he said with a growl.

With that he pulled out his own claymore, and charged me. I barely got my sword up in time, before his came down on it. I stumbled backwards, and caught myself. He was already coming back for another strike, before I even got off of the ground. I rolled right before his sword hit where I laid moments ago.

While he was busy pulling his sword out of the ground, I jumped up and hit him in the back with my sword. Since he was wearing armor, I wasn't too worried about hurting him. The hit surprised him more than anything, which caused him to lose his balance. He fell over, and the shock of my sword hitting his back made me fall on top of him. He stared at me dumbfounded for a few moments, before I looked away and rolled off of him and stuck a hand out to help him up.

I heard laughter. Vilkas and I both looked under the veranda and saw Aela and Farkas laughing.

"I knew I was on to something when I saw you kill that giant!" she exclaimed while coming towards us.

I smugly smiled when I saw Vilkas' shocked expression.

Teasingly, Aela said "Vilkas, you looked real comfortable a few seconds ago." she said talking about our pileup.

Both of us immediately turned red.

"As if!" I said immediately while Vilkas just made angry noises of disbelief.

Aela just smiled, and went on. "I guess you're with us now, right?"

Until she said that, I didn't really realize that I had defeated Vilkas. A shocked look appeared on my face.

"I am, aren't I?" I said stupidly.

Vilkas, recovered from his loss, handed me his sword. I looked at him questioningly and he told me to go have it sharpened by Eorlound Graymane up at the Skyforge. He told me since I was whelp now, I would be doing small errands until I gained more experience.

I was beginning to dislike the dark haired man. With a turn on my heels, I marched up the stairs to the Skyforge. _Who did he think he was, ordering me around like a servant?_ I thought, angered.

When I reached the top, I met a tall man who told me that his name was Eorlund, and was revered as the best blacksmith in all of Skyrim. _I_ _think I remember my father mentioning him before I left home _I thought. The man told me to not let the others give me too much of a hard time. He sharpened the sword, which I returned promptly. Farkas, the big man that was with Aela when I killed the giant, led me to Vilkas' bedroom.

I unceremoniously dumped the sword on his bed, and walked back to the Bannered Mare. I had been offered a bed in Jorvaskr, so I came to collect my things. After paying the innkeeper for the two nights, I collected my things and went back to Jorvaskr. As soon as I found an empty bed, I collapsed into it and immediately fell asleep.

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AN: Thanks for reading; don't forget to review!


	3. Chapter 3

The days turned to weeks, and I finally began to settle in to life as a Companion. Everyone had warmed up to me considerably, except for one. Vilkas still treated me as if I was unworthy to lick the dirt from his boots. I sat at the huge table in the entrance hall, absentmindedly tearing a sweet roll into pieces.

_Was it something I did?_ I wondered. _Why do I care? If he wants to be difficult, let him. It doesn't matter._ I thought angrily.

Despite my best efforts, I couldn't make the man warm up to me. Anytime I tried to speak with him, he would just grunt in reply, if that. Sometimes, he wouldn't even acknowledge me. I would give up and storm off in a huff. Then proceed to light the practice dummy on fire in the practice yard. For the dummy's sake, I had to figure something out.

That's when it came to me. I would ask Vilkas to help me on my next assignment. As a matter of fact, I haven't gone on any assignments in a while. I opened the back door to Jorvaskr when I heard an inhuman screech that sent chills down my spine. As I looked over the walls of Whiterun, I was frozen in shock. A dragon was circling a watch tower and occasionally shrieking at it. I took of running towards the gates, while avoiding everyone running towards their homes.

I knew I had to help the men at the watch tower, even if I had no idea what I was doing!

* * *

I sat unmoving in my room, thinking of the new whelp. Lately, she seemed to be the only thing I could think about.

_I don't even like the girl_ I reasoned. _Why can't I think of anything besides her? She isn't extraordinary to look at, with her plain brown hair and blue eyes. _Maybe if I said that over and over again, I would begin to believe it.

As I began to stand up, my door slammed open. I quickly turned around and was met with the view of my brother blocking the door. He had a look of urgency on his face, and I could tell something was wrong.

"Vilkas! Get your armor and sword, there's a flying beast at the watch tower towards the west of Whiterun! People are saying that it is a dragon, just like the one they say attacked Helgen." Farkas said in one breath. I think that was the most I had ever heard him say at one time.

"A dragon? The dragons died out long ago." I said in disbelief. I hurriedly put on my wolf armor, and grabbed my greatsword.

We left Jorvaskr, and ran to the front gates. Aela, and Skjor were waiting at the gate for us. Without saying a word, Skjor led us out of Whiterun. We looked towards the watch tower, only to be met with a pillar of smoke. With curses flying, we began to charge towards the tower.

When we got closer to the tower, I heard Aela gasp.

"Is that... No, it can't be! I think Isabelle's down there!" At that, she began to run faster.

A sick feeling rose in my chest, as I hurried towards the tower. The tower was about half a mile away, but with the beast blood, that I detested so, I could smell the smoke already and see the fire clearly. There was also the familiar scent of the newest Companion.

We had almost reached the tower when the beast flew over the mountain behind the tower. _So it is true then?_ I thought in awe.

Before any of us could do anything, the dragon swooped at something near the side of the tower. We saw a lightning bolt hit the creature as it flew around the tower. _Isabelle!_

We pushed ourselves even harder until we got to the tower. We were met with an angry mage. She was holding herself awkwardly, but was still maintaining a glare that promised pain.

"Get in the tower, now!" She said loudly.

_Who does she think she is, telling us what to do!_ I thought in anger.

Before I could open my mouth, Aela spoke in a calm voice. "We'll take this thing down together!"

I saw Isabelle smile briefly, before nodding.

_This is going to be an intense battle, and it hasn't even started_ I thought as we got into position.

* * *

When I reached the tower, a guard told me to run and get inside, because the dragon was still here somewhere. _It _was_ a dragon that I saw? Oh crap, what have I gotten myself into?_ I thought.

Before I reached the door, I heard the man yell. Before I knew what was happening, I was flying through the air. "Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit!" I screamed, before I collided with the hard ground. I rolled about twenty feet, before staggering up. My rib was throbbing and I felt as if I would vomit from the pain. _Got to keep it together_ I thought while trying to heal it with a spell._ I really wish I had learned more about Restoration magic!_ I thought with a curse. My rib wasn't healing properly!

I made my way to the side of the tower, and heard the dragon's roar again. _At least it can't snatch me up again_ I thought with relief. Then it flew around the tower.

I stared at it stupidly, as it just looked at me while flapping its huge leathery wings. It opened its mouth as soon as I threw up a ward. There were flames all around me, and I could feel my magicka leaving me quickly as the dragon fried my shield. It finally quit with its flames, and turned to fly away. As it turned its back on me, I loaded all of my magicka that I had left into a thunderbolt. I prayed that I wouldn't miss, as I let it loose. _Right on target_ I thought as I heard the dragon shriek in pain.

Before I could chase it, Aela, Skjor, Farkas, and Vilkas barreled around the tower.

Fearing for their lives, I yelled for them to go in the tower. I was already thrown by it; what if it did that to them, or worse?

Aela told me that she wasn't leaving and we would fight together. Realizing it was a lost cause to argue with the woman, I just smiled and nodded.

* * *

I was at the top of the tower, with a conjured flame atronach and Aela. Aela and I were shooting the dragon with arrows when it would fly by. Skjor, Farkas, and Vilkas would charge the creature every time it landed. We had already been going at this for more than two hours.

Farkas had been thrown like me, but he seemed okay. Skjor barely avoided the dragons flame, making Aela fire arrows even faster.

Vilkas, the most tactical of the three, would move out of the dragon's path before it could touch him.

I notched my arrow, focused and put a little bit more energy into the conjured arrow. I let it loose, and watched it hit its mark with a sense of satisfaction.

The dragon slammed into the ground, ripping the earth up with its sharp scales. That was our cue to join the men. As we ran towards the dragon, I could see it standing up. I readied my lightning spells and began to shoot them fast as I could.

I hadn't realized how close I had gotten to the dragon until it was too late. The dragon's mighty jaws wrapped around my arm with a sickening snap. I screamed, and watched as Vilkas slammed a greatsword into its head. The dragon let go of me, and I immediately hit the ground. With one arm a mangled mess, I raised the other and wrapped it in fire. I stuck my hand into the dragon's eye socket and pulled. The dragons body immediately fell limp as I let loose flames into its skull.

As its body fell, I collapsed again. I heard footsteps pounding towards me, when I felt the worst sensation in my life. I heard a whooshing noise and felt something forcing its way into my body as I screamed and writhed on the ground. The pain stopped as soon as it began, and I felt as if something feral had been trapped inside of my body. The last thing I remember was worried voices yelling my name; then I blacked out.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Thanks for reading, if you're this far!

* * *

It had been four days since the dragon attack, and we'd been taking shifts waiting for Isabelle to wake up.

The three of us were stunned when we saw the skin burning off of the dragon, but even more so when we saw what looked like golden waves flowing towards the girl. When they touched her, she began screaming as if she were being burned. Aela tried to run towards her, but Skjor stopped her. When the waves dissipated, so did Isabelle's screams.

We ran to her, with Aela reaching her first. She fell down beside Isabelle and held her head in her lap. She kept trying to wake her up, but was unsuccessful.

My instincts told me to take her to the priestess in town, so I immediately grabbed her up and began running. The only thought in my mind was that I had to save her.

When I busted through the door with the mangled girl, Danica immediately told me to lay her down on one of the beds.

For the past four days, we had been taking shifts staying with her. Aela refused to leave her in case something happened, so Skjor decided that we would take shifts. This was the only way Aela would agree to leave and get some sleep and eat. In the weeks that Isabelle had been with us, she had grown to be like a sister and protégée to Aela.

I had been reading a book on Kynareth, when I heard Isabelle groan. I dropped the book and looked at her, to see two eyes looking right back at me.

"You're awake. I've got to get Danica, I'll be right back." I said before hopping up and trotting out to retrieve the priestess.

We returned to Isabelle in record time. Danica asked her all sorts of questions about what was hurting, what year it was, etc. After administering a high-powered healing potion, Danica left us alone.

"How long have I been out?" Isabelle asked in a raspy voice.

"Four days. You had us worried, what with collapsing and all." I said, thinking about how terrified I was that she had been killed.

With a sheepish grin, she offered a small apology. She began to try to sit up and I immediately began to hover over her, not sure what to do.

After getting her into a sitting position, she began to cough. After calming down a bit she asked me for some water. As I was leaving the room, I heard a small sigh.

* * *

The first thing I was aware of was a light breathing to my left, and the occasional turn of a page. I let out a small groan as I opened my eyes, and heard the book fall onto the floor.

I was lying in a bed inside of what looked to be the Temple of Kynareth. As I looked to my left, I was met with the sight of a haggard looking Vilkas.

_What is he doing here?_ I wondered, still not quite awake.

He began speaking at a fast and jumbled pace and ran out of the room. I thought he left, but he quickly returned with the priestess I had seen while visiting the temple.

She proceeded to ask me a lot of seemingly random questions. When she was satisfied she turned and left.

I began to try to sit up, not liking looking weak in front of Vilkas. He stood up looking unsure as to what he was doing, but we managed to get me into a sitting position. At the change in position, I began to cough as if I had been inhaling the smoke from working a forge for fifty years. When the coughs subsided, I sent Vilkas for water and sighed.

_So much for getting Vilkas to warm up to me_ I thought glumly.

I went after the dragon, mainly to help the men at the tower. But I would be lying if I said I wasn't trying to impress Vilkas just a little bit. _But of course, I would faint in front of him!_

_In speaking of Vilkas, why was he sitting here with me? He doesn't particularly like me, so there has to be some explanation!_ I thought, unsure.

Vilkas came back in with a pitcher of water. I greedily drank from the cup he gave me. He cleared his throat, and I knew he was probably about to give me the scolding of a lifetime. I wasn't disappointed.

"What made you think it was a good idea to fight a dragon, alone, and without telling anyone where you had gone?" He said in a eerily calm voice.

"I couldn't just ignore that the thing was attacking the watch tower." I replied in a surprisingly calm voice.

I could tell his temper was rising. "You could have been killed! Do you realize that? Did you even think about anyone else when you ran off?!" he said loudly.

"Yes, I did. I thought about all of those men that I would hopefully be saving!" I replied hotly.

With a growl, he replied "What about us? Hmm? What about Aela, and Skjor? What about Farkas and Ria? What about Kodlak? What about me?!"

I sat stupefied as he stormed out. _What did he mean by THAT?_ I thought trying not to get my hopes up. Then I remembered everything else he said. _Do they think that I don't trust them enough to ask them for help?_ I worried.

I hadn't thought about anyone when I ran off. It would tear Aela and Farkas apart if something happened to me. They had turned into my surrogate siblings during my weeks as a Companion. Then there was Kodlak, who saw all of us as his own children. Skjor was like the uncle that you knew cared, but didn't really show it. I began to feel like a pile of crap thinking of all of the people that I probably had let down.

While drowning in my sorrows, I didn't hear Aela enter the room. I was immediately trapped in a bear hug. I jumped in surprise and pain, as she squeezed my injured ribs.

"Don't you ever do something like that ever again!" she said hotly. I felt like I was being scolded by my mother. Again with the scolding! My head was hung in shame.

"I'm not sure if I want to hit you or congratulate you." At this my head raised and I looked at her weirdly.

"What?" I said in confusion.

"You killed the first dragon anyone has seen in centuries. People are calling you the dragonborn. And I agree with them, after seeing you absorb the brute's soul." she said proudly.

Shocked, I asked her what she was talking about.

"After you killed the dragon and collapsed, the dragon's skin began to burn off as if it was on fire. Then what we assume to be its soul, flew into you. It was just like the legend." she said in awe.

I didn't know what to say. I remembered the excruciating pain after collapsing, and the feeling of being invaded. If I focused, I could still feel the presence in my mind.

Aela began to catch me up on what I had missed, which hasn't really been much. Then she asked me why Vilkas looked so angry when he stormed out of the temple.

My face burned. I just groaned and heard Aela laugh.

"You have a way of riling him up. He's always had that temper, but you seem gifted in making him angry!" With a hearty laugh, she rose to leave. But before she could I had to ask her if she was mad at me.

At my question she turned around and looked at me like I was stupid.

"We don't get angry at bravery. That's kind of what made us famous; our bravery, that is." she told me looking at me strangely, before walking out.

_Why did Vilkas get so angry then?_ I wondered with rising hopes.

* * *

AN:Don't forget to review!


	5. Chapter 5

A few weeks had passed since the dragon attack. All that remained of my injuries was a scar encircling my arm. After recovering for a few days under Danica's watchful gaze, I was allowed to return back to Jorvaskr.

As soon as Kodlak have me the okay, I was back to work. My fears were put to rest when I was received with open arms back at Jorvaskr by everyone.

_Well, except for one person_ I thought glumly.

Vilkas had been extremely cold with me. Not in a cruel way; no that wasn't Vilkas' style. Vilkas ignores me like I don't exist.

Before the dragon attack, I decided I was going to go with Vilkas on a job, in hopes of finding a common ground with him; but with the dragon fiasco, I never got to do it, and I've been to afraid to ask him now.

An Imperial named Viranus, had joined the ranks of the Companions. He gets along well enough with everyone, particularly me. He always seems to be with me; while I am at Jorvaskr and while on jobs. He always accompanies me, and I usually return the favor.

Viranus is perfect; he has muscles, a nice tan complexion, and a great personality. By all means, I should be head-over-heels in love with him, but something just seems off about him. I feel as if he is hiding something from us.

Of course, Vilkas doesn't like him. At all. In the short two months that Viranus has been with us, he and Vilkas had gotten into numerous brawls over the smallest things. Each man would leave the fight a little worse for wear, but mainly their prides' would be the most injured.

You know how I said that it felt like Viranus was with me all the time? Well, it has begun to feel like I can't get away from the man! I've tried to hide from him. Yes, I have stooped to that level! It's just so tiring, not having any alone time.

_Damn it! Here he comes!_ I thought as I dove behind some barrels behind a stall in the market.

After he had walked by, I made a beeline for Jorvaskr. I would just find a job to do, and leave before he found me. When I found Aela lounging in her room, I immediately cut to the chase.

"I need a job! I'm going stir crazy!" I said, only half lying. I was becoming tired of Jorvaskr, as I hadn't been on a job in two weeks.

"Well," she said, putting down her bow that she had been polishing, "you're in luck. I just received one. The Jarl of Falkreath has put out a bounty on a clan of bandits raiding farms in the area. We have been asked to eliminate the bandits."

When she said that, I had a bad feeling in my gut. My family's farm is outside of Falkreath!

"I'll take it." I said, with a stronger voice than I thought I could muster.

As I turned around, Aela called for me.

"Take someone with you, Isabelle. An entire clan isn't something you should tackle on your own." Aela added.

"Alright. I'll find someone before I leave." I said as I turned around and walked into the hall.

_Take someone, she says? This will be the perfect time to get rid of Viranus, and I can try to work on the Vilkas situation all together!_ I thought with relief, and determination. As I plodded up the stairs, I could see Vilkas sitting at the table, reading a book that appeared to be on how to use heavy armor more efficiently.

I sat beside him, and saw him glance at me slowly, and then return to his book.

_Alright, fine then_ I thought, before I grabbed the book and chucked it across the table.

With a long suffering sigh, he finally looked at me.

"What do you want?" he asked sounding as if he was being put to death.

Sarcastically I replied, "No need to get so excited." I continued, "I have a job, and I need someone to accompany me, per Aela's orders."

With a dark look passing over his face, he said, "Why don't you take Viranus? You two seem to be joined at the hip."

Letting the jab slide, I said in a calm voice, "If I wanted to take him, I would've asked him. You and I have never done a job together before, so I think it's about time."

As he sat pondering, I saw the front door open. I was met with the face of overbearing Viranus. I began to slide down in my seat, and could feel Vilkas' eyes on me.

As Viranus began walking towards me, Vilkas agreed to accompany me. In a very loud voice, might I add. At this, I saw Viranus' eyes narrow at Vilkas. I then noticed the smug look on Vilkas' face. I could feel an oncoming brawl, so I had to do something quick.

I noticed the fire roaring in the fireplace, and decided that I could make the fire spill out just a little. I could feel the fire from across the room, and took hold of it.

_Perfect!_ I thought as I saw the flames begin to lick at the carpet near the fireplace. When it was ignited, I let the flames fall back into the fireplace. By the time I looked back at the two men, they were already in each others' faces, before I shrieked about the rug being on fire.

Both of them looked at the fire dumbly for a few seconds, before Vilkas snatched the rug up by a corner and ran to a door with it. During this spectacle, I quietly sneaked down to the living quarters to get a few of my things before I left for Falkreath.

* * *

At sunrise the next morning, I met Vilkas at the stables outside of Whiterun. We decided we would travel by foot since Falkreath was only a day's travel. We would arrive in Falkreath a bit after sunset, and would rent a room in an inn.

Vilkas was wearing his wild armor and had a big Skyrforge steel greatsword strapped to his back. I was dressed in the total opposite.

I had recently gotten enough money to pay for a pair of Apprentice Robes of Destruction. Farengar, the court wizard in Whiterun had recently gotten them from the College in Winterhold; I knew that I would have them.

Vilkas complained about the robes. He said that if I got hit, it would be the end of me since I had no armor. I know that it isn't very smart to wear no armor, but I just couldn't move in it.

The first hour or two, we didn't really speak much. _This isn't going to make him warm up to me!_ I thought in despair. _What do I do?_

Feeling that the way we had been acting was stupid, I turned to Vilkas to address the problem.

"This is stupid. Why are we acting like this?" I said in exasperation. My voice sounded too loud in the quiet night air.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Vilkas said in a calm voice.

"Don't give me that crap. You know exactly what I am talking about! Is it because I use magic, or is it just because I'm not a Nord?" At this he looked surprised.

"What are you talking about?" he said, sounding truly surprised.

"You've been ignoring me, and before the the dragon attacked, you didn't particularly like me!" I yelled letting out all of my confusion.

He stopped walking, so I did too. I turned around to look at him when he began to speak. He had a cross look on his face.

"I don't know what you're talking about! I haven't been ignoring you! If you'd take the time to notice, I don't treat you any differently than Aela or Farkas. It's just how I have always been, and will be!" he said with a frustrated sigh.

_What? He hasn't been ignoring me?_ I thought perplexed.

He continued, "You thought that I didn't like you because I didn't speak with you every second of the day? Or because you were a Breton?"

"Well, for all I know those could've been feasible reasons as to why you didn't speak with me! It wouldn't be too farfetched that someone hates me because of what I am!" I yelled at him, thinking about all of the times I had been slighted as a child for being different, as in not a Nord, to other children. And now, adults still do it. It doesn't help that I use magic regularly, which the majority of the Skyrim's population distrusts.

"Divines no! I don't hate you because your a Breton! And definitely not because of your magic. You've helped so many of our Shield-Brothers and Sisters with your healing magic. I don't trust magic unless it is in competent hands!" Vilkas yelled, like he was trying to get me to understand him.

In a timid voice, I asked, "So you don't hate me?" and added in my mind _Was that a compliment?_

"No, I don't hate or dislike you." he replied in a calmer voice.

"So we are all good? No more cold shoulder?" I asked still unsure.

"Yes, we are fine!" he said with an exasperated sigh.

We began back on our path, both with eased minds. After clearing the air, the tension in the air dissipated. It felt as if Vilkas had been a lifelong friend. We chatted about small, insignificant things, until we reached Riverwood. As we were walking through the small settlement, we got onto the subject of Viranus.

"I don't like him." Vilkas stated bluntly.

"I like him enough, but if feels as if he is hiding something big. I just can't tell what." I said, thinking about the sinister look that would flash in his eyes before being replaced with joviality and friendliness.

"The boy is arrogant. He doesn't give the respect that is due." At this, I giggled a bit at how Vilkas called him a boy, when Viranus had to be around our age.

"I'm sorry, but you've never exactly shown him any respect." I said logically. "Respect is given when respect is received." I said as I repeated the phrase my mother had always used before I left home.

With a noncommittal grunt, Vilkas added, "He seems to like you more than everyone else. How does it feel to have a living and breathing shadow?"

My face flushed scarlet. "It feels like I can't breathe. I can't ever get away from him. I was hiding behind barrels in the market district yesterday! It's that bad!" The words tumbled out of my mouth. I had been holding the feeling inside, and I guess I needed to vent.

I continued, "I hate being left alone with him. Something about him makes me uncomfortable."

At this, Vilkas' face turned serious. "He hasn't tried anything, has he? If he has, don't be afraid to catch him on fire." he said with a dark look passing over his face.

"You definitely don't have to tell me twice. As a matter of fact, I electrocuted an old lecher that tried to pick me up like I was a common whore when I was fifteen." I said with a smirk. I could still remember the pervert's hair standing straight up and the glazed look in his eyes after getting pumped full of electricity.

At that, Vilkas snorted in laughter. I noticed how nice he looked when he smiled, before my face blushed at the thought as we continued our trek to Falkreath.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: I've been trying to make a point to update at least once a week, so you can generally expect to get a new chapter every weekend. Don't hold me to it though!

* * *

It was very late when we arrived in Falkreath. We decided that we would rent a room and take a couple of hours to rest from the trip, and then go speak with the Jarl in the morning.

The room we rented only had one bed, but we were both so tired that we didn't care about sharing. I was dead to the world as soon as my head hit the pillow.

* * *

_The stench of smoke filled the air, while everything was bathed in a violent red and orange hue. Soon, I saw a familiar farm engulfed in flames. I could see the bandits all around the cabin. The harder I ran, the farther the farm became. I opened my mouth to scream, but nothing came out. The smoke began to fill my lungs, before I choked. As I stumbled, gasping for air, the farm drifted away while tears made their way down my face._

* * *

I was soundly asleep when I felt a small movement to my right. The fidgeting began to get worse, and as I opened my mouth to tell Isabelle to stop moving, she let out the most pained scream I have ever heard.

I jumped and reached to wake her up, when her blue eyes popped open and she bolted out of the bed and scrambled onto the floor. I jumped out of bed when I saw her trembling with tears running down her face.

I slid onto the floor beside her and slung an arm around her shoulder. As she continued to cry, I kept reassuring her that the nightmare was just that; a nightmare. I held her for a couple of minutes before she pulled herself together. She looked embarrassed about her outburst.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked, not entirely sure about what to do in this situation.

"No! I mean no, I'm fine. Like you said it was just a stupid nightmare." she said with a trembling voice.

She looked to the window and said, "Sorry about this. We might as well get going and speak with the Jarl. It's already morning."

I could tell she was avoiding any questions, but I let it slide. We had things to do.

* * *

_I can't believe I just embarrassed myself like that!_ I thought as Vilkas and I walked towards the Jarl's longhouse. Hopefully we could finish this job and I could shake this terrible feeling.

We were told by the Jarl that there was a bandit clan that was moving around the Falkreath area attacking the farms, just like Aela said. After he was done telling us about the bandits, we went on our way to eradicate the low-lives.

We just began to walk in the forests around Falkreath hoping to catch some trace of the clan. After a while of unsuccessful searching, we stopped to rest in a small clearing in the forest.

"Out with it Vilkas." I knew he wanted to say something; he had been looking at me funny all day. I waited for his reply as I took a seat on the hard ground.

"Are you sure you're alright? You've looked like you have seen a ghost all day." he said, sounding genuinely worried.

_I figure it won't hurt to tell him why I've been so antsy. I can trust him. _I picked up a small twig off the ground and began to tear it into small pieces as I began to tell him of the dream. After I had finished, he had only one question.

"What is the farm in your dream?" He said sounding confused.

I face palmed. I forgot to tell him that I came from one of these farms.

"Vilkas, this is where I'm from. I lived on a farm near here, and the farm in my dream was my family's. I'm scared. I was always there to protect it, but I just ran off!" I finally let out the thoughts that had been tumbling around in my head since I took the job.

I continued, "My father is an ex-Stormcloak, but he was shot in the knee with an arrow, so he isn't as handy with a sword as he used to be. My mother knows how to brew potions, but she isn't exactly a fighter." I said with a sick feeling.

Without a word, Vilkas stood up from our resting spot, and began to gather our things. I looked at him in confusion, which prompted him to speak.

"Are you going to lead the way, or do I have to guess where the farm is?" he said in that arrogant voice of his.

Deciding that my family was more important, I didn't comment on his snark.

I rose from my seat on the ground, and began to walk to the trees straight behind Vilkas. The ground crunched every step we took, due to the the dead leaves underneath the thick canopy of trees. Light filtered through the forest, and you could hear birds singing, and the occasional clash of deer antlers. Everything was as it should be in this part of the forest.

* * *

About thirty minutes into the walk, Vilkas stopped in his tracks. He had an odd look on his face, that I couldn't place.

"What is it?" I anxiously asked.

"Smoke." he said simply.

At that I began at a full sprint in the direction of the farm. I had the same sinking feeling that I had had all day, but worse. I began to see familiar trees and rock formations and knew that I was close. The tang of the smoke was pervading the air all around me.

As I busted through the trees, and into the clearing of my family's home, I just stood in shocked silence.

The entire farm looked as if the sun itself had touched down. Everything was blackened and scorched. As my senses came back to me, I began to scramble as fast as I could towards the wreckage. I readied a frost spell and began to put out any fires that I came across.

I heard Vilkas' heavy footfalls behind me. I ignored him, more worried about my parents, and made my way to the blackened stone cottage.

The closer I got, the harder it became to pretend that they would have survived a raid like this. In my heart, I knew. I just stared at the door, until Vilkas reached me. Behind that door, my parents dead bodies laid, never to move again.

Vilkas reached for the handle of the door and I watched as he recoiled from the heated metal. I numbly coated my hand in a frost spell and grabbed the handle and turned.

As we entered the small cottage, I could see the extent of the damage. Furniture that wasn't burned into oblivion, was shredded and destroyed. There was still a small fire burning in the corner.

My heart began to beat a little bit faster when I didn't come across any burnt corpses.

_The cellar!_ At the revelation, I dropped to the floor and snatched back a tattered rug against the wall, to reveal the trap door to the cellar. When I tried to pull it, I could feel resistance against the other side.

I began to cry out of relief. "Daddy! It's me Isabelle, please open the hatch!"

I could hear the lock turn, and the small door swung open. At the sight of my parents' soot covered faces, The dam broke. While I was blubbering like a little baby, Vilkas was helping my parents out of the cellar.

One minute I was crying my eyes out, then the next I was wrapped in the familiar arms of my father, while my mother cried with me.

As we sat together on the burnt floor, all I could think was _They're alive!_

* * *

_AN: Thanks for reading! Please review, and thank you for taking the time to read my story!_


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Thank you everyone that has reviewed! I'm glad y'all are enjoying it! Also, thank you for telling me about my uploading error. I did it half-asleep, and couldn't fathom why it was showing that this story only had four chapters! I accidentally uploaded to another WIP (that I really should update!), so thanks for telling me! Sorry for the long AN; now on to the actual chapter!

PS: Apparently Cracked Tusk Keep is full of Orcs, but for my chapter it will just be normal bandits!

* * *

After my mental breakdown, I felt drained. The adrenaline that had been coursing through my body finally went away and left me with a skull-splitting headache and an overall numb feeling. Vilkas took charge of the situation, and led my family and me out of the ruins of our once beautiful farm.

It was around four hours until sunset, and Vilkas thought we would make it to Falkreath, if we hurried, by nightfall. I held back a snort as I watched Vilkas, who wasn't entirely sure which way to go. My father out him out of his misery and pointed him in the right direction. As we began our trek through the forest, my mind was elsewhere.

_When I find those low-lives, they'll be sorry. I can't wait to pump their leader full of electricity; I'll give him a fraction of the pain that he put my family through today!_ The dark thoughts continued to swirl around my mind.

I had all but forgotten I was walking with anyone, so absorbed in my thoughts, that I jumped when my father spoke.

In that friendly voice, my father said to Vilkas, "I'm sorry for not introducing myself. My wife and I were a bit frazzled when you and my daughter came. My name is Bedoryan."

At this, my mother added, "Yes, and I am Chrystara. It's good to know that my daughter has someone watching out for her. At least now I know that my daughter is in good hands."

"I understand. My name is Vilkas. It is nice to meet you." Vilkas replied with his thickly-accented voice.

After the introductions, Vilkas and my father fell into a light conversation. My mother drifted to the back of our group and started walking next to me.

I began to study her, and took note of her slightly-graying hair. I always remembered her hair as the rich mahogany that colors my hair. There were also deeper wrinkles along her face. My mother was always a beautiful woman, but the wrinkles and graying hair didn't take away that beauty. She had aged gracefully.

"He's a nice man." Mother muttered.

"Huh? I mean, yes he is." I replied, a little off guard.

Never one to beat around the bush, she simply said, "You like him, don't you?"

I sputtered, and flushed so deeply I'm sure there were jealous tomatoes all over Skyrim. Apparently I audibly choked, causing my father and Vilkas to look back at us. I just flushed deeper and assured them that I was alright. My mother just chortled to herself.

_Great, now she isn't going to let that rest _I thought sullenly. Realizing that I hadn't exactly denied it, I replied.

"You can stop planning the wedding." I said sarcastically. "No, I don't like him." I finished.

Mother just hummed in return, and continued smiling that Cheshire smile of hers. I just sighed and continued walking, taking solace in the cool night air. I always loved the night air in Falkreath. Being so far south, the air was warmer and muggier than Whiterun's cold air.

While walking through the quickly darkening forest, I felt as if something was off. Trusting in my gut instincts I suddenly turned around, only to meet the empty path behind me. I could feel something watching me, waiting for me to let down my guard.

My parents and Vilkas stopped when I turned around. Vilkas came up to me, ready to ask me why I stopped, when I suddenly let a thunderbolt loose into the canopy. Instead of hitting something, the bolt flew straight out of the canopy and into the sky.

"What in the Divines' name are you doing?" Vilkas said.

"I feel like something or someone is watching us." I replied, my paranoia increasing.

"Your nerves are shot. You need to rest; we can't be much farther from Falkreath, and you can rest when we get back." he told me.

"I know something is watching us. But fine; we can go." I replied shortly.

After twenty more minutes of walking and being watched, I snapped.

Fire began pouring out of my hands and burning into the canopy. This time though, my spells found a target.

With a curse, a wood elf fell out of the tress at my feet. In the blink of an eye, I was on him. I could hear Vilkas' armor clanking as he came towards us.

With a flame spell held dangerously close to his face I yelled "Who are you?!"

With a stupid smirk he replied, "Ysgramor, Companion."

I tightened my hold on him, and made the fire just a bit larger and hotter. "Are you sure about that?"

I could see a spark of fear in his eyes. "I'm sorry! Just get that flame away from my face!"

"Answer me!" I yelled.

"A scout! I'm a scout for my clan! Please, don't kill me!" He said in a quivering voice.

"Tell. Me. Where. They. Are." I said in a deadly calm voice.

"Cracked Tusk Keep! We've been holed up their for around a month now! Please, don't kill me!" He pleaded.

"You burned down the farm that I grew up on. You destroyed my family's livelihood. You don't deserve mercy." I said, before casting a strong fireball and ending the cretin's life.

I stood up, and began to stalk away from the body and continue down the road. The wolves would deal with him, and Vilkas and I would deal with the rest of the bandits tomorrow.

* * *

The next morning, Vilkas and I got up early. Vilkas headed to the local blacksmith to have his sword sharpened, while I went to the general store in town, in hopes of finding something to help with the bandits.

As I entered the shop, I was immediately greeted by a Nord man named Solaf. I looked around the shop, and my eyes settled on a bookcase along one of the walls. There were several books on it, and some appeared to be spell tomes. As I looked them over, one caught my eye. It depicted the rune symbolizing conjuration on the front.

When I opened the book, I realized this book would teach me how to conjure an frost atronach! I wasn't really sure if I could pull it off, but I went ahead and bought the book. After exiting the shop, I headed towards a clearing and took out my purchase.

I lowered my self to the ground, and began to study the pages, being sure not to miss anything important. I had always had a knack for conjuration, and hoped that it would pay off. I readied the spell after ingraining it into my mind and then released it onto the ground in front of me.

Instead of the black and purple portal that I was accustomed to, nothing happened. _Well_,_it would've been impressive if I had gotten it right the first time _Iwith determination_. _

I continued practicing the spell for a good hour until Vilkas came for me.

"We should head out." Vilkas said, foregoing any greeting.

"I guess so. I wanted to get this spell to work, but no matter what I do, I can't cast it!" I said, frustrated.

"It will come to you eventually. Now let's go." he said before turning.

I gathered my book, stood up, and followed him.

* * *

We arrived at the fort just after noon, and stopped to make a battle plan.

"Should we wait until night, so they don't see us coming? Then they won't be able to alert anyone." I said. Vilkas stared at me weirdly.

"I've never been able to have an attack plan with any of the others. Usually they just want to charge in without thinking. It's just odd to have someone to make a plan with." Vilkas told me.

"We'll, I'm not all brawny like everyone else. If I just charged in, I wouldn't last two seconds. I HAVE to plan." I told him truthfully.

"I guess so. Yes, we should wait for night." he agreed.

We continued plotting and planning until sunset. Right as the sun was going over the mountains to the west, I conjured a bow and notched an arrow.

There were two men left patrolling the outer wall that night. Vilkas had his bow out and had his sights set on the bandit to our left, while I had mine on the bandit to our right.

Vilkas began counting down, "3...2...1...Fire."

Our arrows hit our targets in sync. Both bandits fell lifeless to the ground. We began to creep into the yard of the fort, and took in our surroundings.

There was a forge and a few tables scattered around. After deciding there was no one left, we headed for the door. We systematically made our way through the fort, killing bandit by bandit, all while staying unknown.

We came to the last room of the fort, and were met with 10 bandits all together.

"We won't be able to sneak our way through this." I whispered to Vilkas.

"Let's just take two out at once, then fight normally." he replied.

Thankfully, I learned how to cast spells silently, otherwise we would have died. With my bow readied, I settled on one of the closest bandits. We sent the arrows flying, and watched as two of the men fell. Then chaos erupted.

The eight remaining men began charging towards us. Vilkas and I ran inside to face the men. I immediately summoned a flame atronach and watched as it was quickly defeated. That's when I began to worry.

Vilkas had three men attacking him. He seemed to be okay, so I focused back on my own men. Stupidly taking my eyes of of them, I let one get too close. As I turned back, I was punched in the face.

The force of the punch sent me sprawling backwards and onto the floor. Before I knew what was happening, the man was on top of me.

The bandit told me in a growl, "You made a mistake coming here, girly. We're gonna have some fun once your little friend is dead!"

I began to struggle to get my arms free. I was hopeless if I couldn't cast anything! As I began to panic, I could feel that entity that filled me when we killed the dragon. Before I knew what was going on, I opened my mouth and sent the bandit flying off of me and into the roof. _What the hell was that?!_

Everyone froze. I scrambled up, and took advantage of everyone's shock, and sent a fireball in the direction of a bandit. Then the fight began again with renewed vigor.

_This is hopeless! There's too many of them! There's got to be something... the frost atronach! _I began to focus solely on the thought of summoning the daedra. As I charged the spell, I focused as hard as I could on getting the spell right. When I released, I heard the familiar metallic crunch of the summoning portal._ I did it! _

I opened my eyes and was met with the sight of a huge formation of ice charging towards the bandits. It began mailing bandits and throwing them against the room. The amount of magicka that the spell drained was astounding, but it seemed to be worth it. I stared as if in a trance and watched as it decimated the bandits.

When the atronach was returned to Oblivion, the numbers were much better. There were only three bandits left. My power had returned to me, so I rejoined the fight. While one of the bandits was bringing his sword down, ready to strike Vilkas, I shot him with a lightning bolt that made him stumble backwards. His eyes locked into me, and I could tell something about him was different.

The bandit charged me with a quick sprint. His speed surprised me, and I was caught off guard when his sword slammed into my arm. I screamed when The pain of the attack hit me. With my undamaged arm, I shot an ice spike at him. The icicle impaled his thigh, which caused him to fall over.

While the bandit was down, I took the opportunity to heal myself. I could feel my skin knitting back together from the healing magic. When I finished, I saw the man struggling to get up. I kicked him back down on the floor.

"We are Companions sent by the Jarl himself, to rid his hold of your clan." I told the injured man.

"You stupid bitch! You'll regret this!" he yelled.

"Maybe. If you hadn't of burned down my childhood home and almost killed my family, then MAYBE I would've regretted this." I said, before sending a fireball at his face.

I turned around to see Vilkas pulling his sword out of a bandit's stomach. I noticed he was slightly limping, and immediately walked over to him.

"What happened?" I said in a stern voice, knowing it would be like pulling teeth to get him to admit he was hurt.

"I'm fine." he said in a gruff voice.

"Then why are you limping? Tell me what you hurt, so I can heal it! I promise I won't tell anyone! Sovngarde forbid, anyone think the mighty Vilkas ever got hurt." I said sarcastically.

He just growled at me an hobbled over to a large chunk of broken pillar. He collapsed on it, and showed me a large gash on his calf.

I got down on my knees in front of him and wrapped my hands in healing magic. As I touched his leg, I felt a spark pass through me. My face burned, and I hurried as fast as I could. I was acutely aware of the position we were in, and leaped to my feet as soon as I finished healing him.

As I finished, I didn't look at Vilkas and began to walk towards the door. I know he had to have been able to feel the awkward tension in the room too. He stayed silent as we exited the fort.

_This is going to be one long walk back to Falkreath _was the only thought running through my mind.


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Instead of studying for a test on the entire play of Hamlet, I'm writing this. I wanted to put this up yesterday, but I didn't have the urge to write, and I downloaded the Dawnguard expansion pack for Skyrim. If you can, you should download it. I play on PC, so I waited for a Steam sale and got it for ten dollars, instead of the usual twenty. It's fun, but short. I finished the main story line (there are still other quests though)!

On another note, I've been on a Kate Bush binge again, and Oh to Be in Love (from her first album) has been stuck in my head all week. If you haven't listened to any of her stuff, you definitely should. As a matter of fact, this chapter was written while I listened to it and some of her other songs on repeat.

Sorry for the long AN! On to the chapter!

* * *

When we arrived back in Falkreath, it was still early morning. Vilkas and I still had a room rented at the inn, along with my parents. Before the attack on the farm, my mother managed to grab most of their savings before going into the cellar. My parents were both adventurous people; in their youth, both of them traveled a lot, so they weren't really worried about having to leave Falkreath. They had enough savings to stay in the inn for a couple of nights before figuring out where to go.

As we arrived back at our room, the awkward tension was still thickening the air. I told Vilkas that I needed to wash the dried blood and dirt off of me before I could even think about sleeping. He nodded as I turned to walk out of the room.

I walked outside into the darkness. The cool crisp air filled my lungs as I breathed in the pine scented air. There was a slight breeze, causing the trees to sway back and forth. Focusing on the crunch of the gravel underneath my shoes, I began to walk towards the small river that powered the wood mill. As I looked up at the starry sky, I began to think.

_I've saved up a good bit of money, and I know that they worry for me. Maybe I can talk them into moving to Whiterun.__This could be my way of repaying my parents for everything they've done for me throughout the years _I thought.

I began to systematically remove my clothes and made a neat pile on the side of the river bank. Not wanting to step into the cold water, I channeled the magicka flowing through my veins to warm my body up. As I lowered myself into the water, my body hissed as steam filled the air.

_Oh the perks of being a mage! _I thought in ecstasy.

I began to scrub the caked-on blood from my arms and torso, thinking of how different my life had became. Only a few months ago, and I was just a farm girl who occasionally killed bears and wolves; now I'm a well off Companion hired and paid to do what I already had to do for my family!

I began to happily hum a tune in a high soprano voice. Compared to the Nordic women voices of Skyrim, my high Breton voice was always a shock to anyone that heard it.

_This is the first time I've had any time to myself in a while _I thought pathetically. Thinking back, I couldn't remember the last time that I had taken my time to do anything. Usually I was in such a rush in everything like eating, bathing, or traveling that I didn't really "stop to smell the roses" as my mother would say.

Next came my long brown hair. There was dried flecks of blood and mud entwined in it. I began to carefully pull apart the tangles, being sure not to pull it too hard. _I really need to take better care of my hair. How did I let it get like this? _I thought in disgust.

Seeing how dirty my hair was, I turned back to look at my clothes on the bank to check them out. Sure enough, they needed washing badly. Deciding I could dry them with a fire spell, I pulled them into the river with me.

_Wow. I can't believe no one said anything about how dirty I was! _I thought in embarrassment. _Well, I guess hygiene isn't really everyone's top priority when you're just trying to make it by._

After thirty more minutes of scrubbing clothes, body parts, and hair, I decided I was clean enough. Not wanting to stand stark naked, I cast a large fireball at the water, causing a thick fog to rise up. I quickly got out of the water and slipped on the sopping wet clothes and began to heat my body up. The water began to steam out of the clothes until I was left standing in dry clothes and a small puddle.

Thoroughly enjoying the relaxation time, I began to head back to the inn. _I need at least a bit of sleep if I want to function tomorrow_ I thought as I saw the first few rays of morning sunlight begin to peak over the mountain range to the east.

* * *

Surprisingly, I was the first to wake up in the morning. Maybe it was from never entering a deep slumber, or from the excitement of heading back home. Either way, I went into the main room of the inn and headed over to the inn keeper, a dark skinned Imperial woman named Valga.

"What do you have to eat? My friend and I need to be off soon." I said politely.

"Your friend? I thought he was your husband." The woman said bluntly.

My face burned as I replied, "No, just a friend."

"Well, we have some venison that we can cook up real quick. Let me get on that." she said while walking away to, I assume, cook the food.

I sat down at one of the tables against the wall and wondered if everyone that saw Vilkas and I together, thought that we were in a relationship. _At least he wasn't here to hear that. I don't think I could stand anymore of the awkwardness._

As I pitied myself, I didn't hear Vilkas walk up behind me. Consequently, when he spoke, I hit the table with my knees as I jumped. While he was laughing, I turned to give him a death stare.

Disgruntled, I asked ,"What do you want?"

"I was going to find you so we could get our payment from the Jarl and head back. Making you maul yourself with an inanimate object was just an added bonus." he said in that smug voice of his.

"I hate you, do you realize that?" I said jokingly.

He opened his mouth to reply, when Valga walked back in with the food I ordered. She sat it down in front of me, and I gave her the gold to pay for it.

"Thank you!" I said in a kind voice.

"Thank you. We don't get very much business here, and you've been staying here for a while now." she said as she walked back to her counter.

I told Vilkas to sit down and eat. We ate in silence, until I saw my parents' room open and my father emerged. I greeted him as he made his way to Valga to buy some of the food that she cooked.

After getting the food, I told my father that I wanted to speak with them after Vilkas and I returned from the Jarl's longhouse. He agreed and took the food back to the bedroom.

Vilkas broke the silence that settled between us. "Let's finish this, and go ahead to the Jarl. It's a decent enough hour by now."

I nodded and followed Vilkas out into the warm and moist air of the morning. As we headed for the longhouse, I decided to tell Vilkas of my plan to buy a house in or near Whiterun for my parents.

"I think that is a fine idea." he said simply.

"Do you think they'll like it though? They're used to the solitude of the forest, not town." I said, still unsure.

"I think they'll be happy because they would get to be close to you. From the sound of it, your parents have been worried about you. It will give them some peace of mind to know you're okay." he told me.

I decided he was right and followed him inside of the large building in the center of town. The Jarl was seated on a high back chair at the end of the entry hall.

As we got close to him, he immediately cut to the chase.

"You've gotten rid of the bandits then?" he said in an authoritative voice.

Vilkas replied, "Every last one of them. They were holed up in Cracked Tusk Keep, to the west of here."

"Good. They were a major threat to my hold. Here is the reward that was promised." he said while giving both of us leather money pouches holding five hundred gold each.

We thanked him, and as we turned to leave the Jarl called out, "I'll put in a good word for the Companions with the other Jarls."

* * *

"I need to restock on supplies before we return to Whiterun." Vilkas told me as we neared the inn.

"Alright. Take your time, as I still need to talk to my parents." I replied.

"Good luck." he said then turned and began walking towards the general goods store.

I went inside and knocked on the door of my parents' room and entered when I was told.

My mother happily greeted me with a good morning, and my father did the same. After exchanging greetings, I sat down on a chair next to the wall and began speaking.

"Now that you two are going to start looking for houses, maybe you could come live closer to Whiterun. You could probably even start a farm or a store," I stopped to take a breath, "It will be great, you would both live closer to me. I would know that you guys were safe, and you would both know that I was safe. We wouldn't have to rely on letters to speak with each other anymore!"

By the looks on their faces, I could tell that they were genuinely considering Whiterun as an option. My excitement began to grow, and I jumped from the chair to hug both of them when they agreed.

"This is great! I won't have to worry about bandits or bears attacking you two while I'm gone anymore!"

After chatting with them about what they would do when we returned to Whiterun, I went back to mine and Vilkas' shared room to gather up my things. I began to pick up all of my potions and scrolls that I spread across the small table in the room and sorted them into my bag. I came across the ice atronach conjuration tome again and decided that I would practice the spell when we returned to Whiterun.

As I finished collecting my things, Vilkas returned with a bag full of health and stamina potions and a newly sharpened sword.

"Get everything you needed?" I asked.

"Yes. I'm ready to head out; are you?" he asked absently while checking through his things one last time.

"My parents are coming with us. They agreed to move to Whiterun!" I told him excitedly.

He just nodded and slung his bag over his shoulder. I followed him into the main hall, and saw my parents ready to leave as well.

We paid Valga, headed out of Falkreath, and began to make our way north on our way back to Whiterun.

* * *

AN: Whew! I'm glad to be done with that chapter. It was pretty boring, but I promise there will be more action soon! Thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

AN: Apparently, shirking off of studying works. I made a perfect score on the Hamlet unit test! Anyways, on to the new chapter!

* * *

Something was wrong. About halfway to Riverwood, we began to smell smoke. Thinking that there had been a bandit attack on a village or hold, we went to investigate. The small settlement of Helgen had been obliterated. From outside of the walls, you only saw thick plumes of smoke whirling through the air. We reached the gate and noticed there weren't any guards, and that the gate was locked. I pulled out a lockpick and made quick work of the lock. We weren't prepared for what we saw on the other side.

There were charred remains of buildings and people scattered all around, along with the rubble of the towers that had collapsed. The damage looked to be less than a day old, as there were still fires burning on some of the buildings. If there were any survivors, they had already fled the ruins. We investigated the ruins, searching for the cause of the destruction.

Vilkas and my father went in one direction, while my mother and I went in another. After about twenty minutes of searching, I found a large black scale. My stomach dropped to my toes; I knew what this was.

In a worried voice, I said, "I know what happened."

My mother quickly came to my side. "What was it? What could do this?"

"It was a dragon." I said simply.

"Like the one that attacked Whiterun?" she asked.

"Possibly worse. It only took four of us to take that one down." I said without thinking.

At the widening of my mother's eyes, I realized my mistake. I neglected to tell them that I had been involved with the killing of the dragon, because I knew my parents would freak out. I wasn't disappointed.

"YOU KILLED A DRAGON?! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!" she shrieked.

Wincing, I tried to calm my mother. At her screaming, Vilkas and my father came running to us.

"...COMPLETELY IRRESPONSIBLE! DID YOU EVEN THINK BEFORE ATTACKING A _DRAGON?!_" she continued, ignoring the arrival of the other two members of our party.

I saw my father's eyes widen, and I knew that he had heard my mother. Instead of exploding, he had a strange look on his face, almost one of resignation.

My mother stopped to take a breath, when my father touched her shoulder.

Father had a placating look on his face. "We knew she would be endangering her life to protect others when she became a Companion. You can be killed by a bandit or a bear just as easily as by a dragon. There is no sense in yelling at her for doing her job."

I gratefully smiled at my father, while he just smiled sadly at me. After calming herself down, mother apologized.

"I know. I know! You want me to still be your little girl, not a warrior. I understand. Apology accepted!" I said trying to console her.

Vilkas spoke up for the first time. "What caused this argument? I'm sure you didn't just come out and mention the dragon for no reason."

My smile immediately dropped as I remembered the big black scale. Instead of speaking, I just raised the razor sharp scale to show him.

"By Ysgramor! I thought that was the only dragon! I can't believe it; they are returning." he said in a troubled voice.

"There isn't anything we can do here. Let's hurry back to Whiterun; I'm sure Jarl Balgruuf will want to know about this." At that, I turned and began walking back to the gate. The scale felt like more than just added weight; it felt like a burden that I knew I would be forced to carry.

* * *

We arrived in Whiterun in record time. The sun had gone down an hour ago, casting tall shadows all across the city. I directed my mother and father to the Bannered Mare to rent a room for the night. As soon as I knew they were settled in, Vilkas and I headed to Dragonsreach.

As soon as we entered Dragonsreach, we were met with the Jarl's housecarl, Irileth. Irileth, a Dunmer, had the usual pale blue skin and piercing red eyes. She also had leather armor on.

"What is the meaning of this? The Jarl isn't taking visitors!" she said in an authoritative voice.

"We have very important news to share with the Jarl about Helgen." I said in the strongest voice I could muster.

"Well, that changes things. Follow me." She turned around and began to ascend a flight of steps.

We followed her, and came upon the sight of the Jarl arguing with his steward about sending troops to Riverwood in case of another dragon attack. When the Jarl noticed us, he motioned us forward.

"What do you and Isabelle know?" the Jarl said, going straight to the point.

"We were returning from a job in Falkreath when we smelled smoke. We went to investigate and found Helgen completely destroyed. There were no survivors there, as they had probably fled;" he stopped to take a breath, "we searched for any clue as to what had happened when Isabelle found a large black scale, just like one from the dragon a few weeks back." he finished.

I pulled the heavy scale from my bag and handed it to Balgruuf. The scale glinted in the light of the torch.

"I want you to speak with my court wizard Farengar. He specializes in the study of dragons." Balgruuf rose from his throne and led us to a room of the side of the main hall. There was a man that looked to be a Nord dressed in blue mage's robes pouring over some old tomes.

"Tell him what has happened, and he'll tell you what to do." with that, Balgruuf handed me the scale, and left the room.

After Balgruuf left, and we filled in Farengar in on the Helgen attack, he told me about a "dragon stone" that he wanted retrieved. He believed it would help us, so we agreed to get it for him. I told Vilkas to go on ahead to Jorvaskr, as I still had unfinished business to attend to. He nodded and left me.

I turned to Farengar and asked him what kind of spells he had for sale. He just pointed me to a bookcase in the corner of the room that was overflowing with spell tomes.

_If I can handle summoning a frost atronach, I can probably handle some higher level destruction magic. _I thought as I sifted through the spell tomes. _It wouldn't hurt to get an armor spell, either. Vilkas is right, I need some type of protection._

After twenty minutes, I found four spells that I thought I could handle. Three destruction spells on the adept level of destruction magic, and a novice level alteration spell called oakflesh. Pleased with my purchases, I headed back to Jorvaskr.

As I got closer to Jorvaskr, it hit me that Viranus would still be there! Deciding that I didn't want to deal with him yet, I headed to the training yard in the back and lit some torches. _Now is the perfect time to practice those spells_ I thought while pulling out the spell books.

Starting with the easiest, I began to read the oakflesh spell book. After memorizing the basics, I tried it. I immediately felt a stiffening of my skin; what an uncomfortable feeling! I put the book off to the side after casting it a few more times, just to be sure.

Next was the lightning spell. I read the first page and realized that the lightning would jump from target to target. _That will be great for crowd control_ I thought before charging the spell. Being a higher level spell, I could feel my magicka dip lower than usual as I charged it. The crackling of the electricity and the clap of thunder always had made lightning spells exhilarating to cast. The extra loss of magicka was definitely worth it, though, as I watched lightning jump from one practice dummy to another. I felt like I could cast it one or two more times before I would drain myself of magicka. I managed to cast it three more times, before giving out.

I sat down at a table and took a break. _I can't believe that there is another dragon. What if there are even more? I have a feeling that I am going to be seeing more dragons in my future._ With that depressing thought, I rose from the chair and grabbed one of the two books that were left.

I opened it and learned that I had grabbed the fire spell. The spell was pretty easy and straightforward to learn, but it still drained my magicka rather quickly. When the spell hit the dummy, I wasn't expecting an explosion. The dummy rattled pitifully on his pole, as did the others. _Maybe all of the adept level destruction spells are crowd control..._Trusting that I could cast it without extra practice, I set the book aside.

All that could be left was the frost spell. These had always been my favorite type of destruction magic. As I read the book, I wasn't surprised to see that it was also a spell with an affected area instead of just a concentration in one place. This one was the most complex to learn, but the most rewarding to cast. I focused the required amount of magicka, charged, and released. The spell was like casting a small moving blizzard. It swept up everything in its path mercilessly. _I think I'll be using that regularly_ I thought with a satisfied smile.

I gathered my books and my bag and headed inside, but not before turning to look at the mess I had made of the practice dummies. _I'll have to remember to ask Kodlak to have some made of stone for metal_ I thought with a bit of embarrassment.

* * *

AN: Sorry this one was short, but I needed to get the plot rolling in a specific direction. I realize that it kind of was just floating from one thing to another, without any sense of direction. Thanks for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

AN: Nothing exciting here, except for a disclaimer. I do not own the Elder Scroll series; that would be Bethesda!

* * *

Weeks flew by, as did jobs. _As a matter of fact, I'm getting real tired of these mundane jobs_ I thought with a sigh.

No dragon attacks, no bandit raids; the most exciting thing that had happened in the past months was killing the occasional giant or hagraven.

As there hasn't been much to do, I had been delving deeper into destruction magic. It seemed that I was stuck. No matter how hard I tried, I could only cast the adept level spells two or three times before giving out.

At the moment, I was sitting in the entrance hall in Jorvaskr, enjoying Viranus' absence.I began swishing around the wine in my goblet absently, thinking about my magic._ My enemies seems to grow with me; the tougher I get, the tougher they get. I have to do something_!

I had heard whispers of the Mages' College in Winterhold, but wasn't too sure about going. _I can't just abandon my duties here; especially now that my parents are finally here!_

My parents and I pooled gold together to buy a good chunk of land right outside of the walls of Whiterun. My father had begun farming, and my mother used her love of alchemy to partner with Arcadia at her shop here in town. They fit right in; you couldn't tell that they weren't born here, with the way that everybody knew, and liked, them.

The opening of the front door roused me from my thoughts. I was met with the sight of a hagard Vilkas limping inside. I immediately hopped out of my seat and headed towards him.

"What happened? You look like a mess." And he did. He looked as if he had been stomped on by a pack of mammoths.

"There were more bandits than I thought." he said simply.

Shaking my head, I channeled my magic into a restoration spell and got to work on him. _Three bruised ribs, and a sprained wrist; that must hurt like a bitch_ I thought with a cringe.

After healing him, I told him to go sleep; he looked as if he was going to keel over at any minute.

After our mission in Falkreath, Vilkas and I became a lot closer. He had slowly became my best friend, and I, his.

_You just don't want to leave Vilkas_ my conscious hissed at me.

_Of course I don't want to leave Vilkas, but he isn't the only thing I would be leaving!_ I thought.

_Right, because the Companions couldn't take down all of the local wildlife by themselves_ my conscious replied.

Before I began to look like a mad woman, I ignored my thoughts and walked down to the living quarters. Before I knew where I was headed, I wound up in front of Kodlak's door. _If anyone can tell me what to do, it will be him!_

I knocked on the door and waited for his gruff voice to tell me to enter. As I did, I saw the large old man sitting at the table that I first met he and Vilkas.

He motioned for me to sit down. Before I could speak, he said, "There is something weighing on your mind; there has been for a while. Am I correct?" he asked in that fatherly tone of his.

At my surprised look, he carried on with a smile, "When you get to be my age, you begin to notice small things."

"I just don't know what to do. I totally rely on magicka to fight with, but lately, I haven't had enough. I'm thinking that it is time that I get formally trained in destruction magic." I began to pour out everything I had been holding in, "The only problem is that the best destruction magic teacher is in Winterhold! I can't just abandon the Companions!"

After I was finished venting, he looked at me sadly, and said, "Well, then go to Winterhold. You will never be tied down to the Companions, and you will always have a place here. You've seemed restless for the past couple of weeks; maybe this trip will be good for you. If this is what you want, then do it. You've amassed enough money to be able to afford it."

At this, I had tears in my eyes. I looked at him sadly, before standing. "This is something I have to do; I can't continue to advance my magic without a proper education for it. I'll tell everyone tonight, and leave. The quicker the better."

I got half way to the door before turning around and giving Kodlak a big hug. "Thank you." I told him with tears in my eyes.

He just hugged me back and told me to take care of myself. _I dread telling the others_

* * *

That night, while everyone was in the main hall, I told them the news. There were a plethora of different reactions all across the room.

Aela looked heart-breakingly sad, Farkas looked confused and wore a deep frown. Njada, unsurprisingly, looked a bit happy. Athis and Torvar both looked surprised, while Ria looked shocked. Viranus had a deep scowl on his face, but the worst was Vilkas. He had a betrayed look on his face, before storming out back into the practice area.

I followed him outside and saw him hacking away at one of the dummies.

"Hey." I said quietly.

He stopped hacking for a second, before returning at it with renewed vigor. Growing impatient, I stepped between him and the dummy.

Growling at me, he looked at me and just said one word. "Why?"

Taking a deep breath, and trying to keep my temper in check, I replied, "You know why. If I want to stay ahead of the game, Im going to have to get serious about my magic."

"Why don't you get Farengar to teach you? Last I checked he would teach anyone that asked." he said in a growl.

"You and I both know that he can't teach me anything I don't know. He and I are on the same level." I replied calmly.

I could see the tension leave his body, and a look of resignation crossed his face. "There's nothing I can do to stop you, is there?" he asked quietly.

The cool night air fogged as I replied. "No, there isn't. Vilkas, I swear that I will be back in two months. Tops. I will regularly write to you; who knows, maybe you'll have a job near Winterhold and you can visit me." I said optimistically.

"When are you leaving?" he asked me, sounding not very eager to hear the answer.

I winced. "Tonight."

His eyes widened. "Don't you think this would've been better to tell us earlier?"

"Well, I just decided this afternoon. I'm going to miss you." I told him truthfully.

I must have looked pitiful, because he hugged me. I reveled in the feeling of comfort and protection. Vilkas' scent engulfed me; sweat, pine trees, and something distinctly Vilkas.

Before I knew it, I had tears in my eyes. I tried my very best, but I couldn't stop them from falling. I just buried my head into the crook of his neck and cried.

* * *

After collecting my things and telling everyone goodbye, and that they had permission to drag me back here if I wasn't back within two months, I headed to my parents' new farm house. I knew that they would be awake; both had always stayed up late and woke up early.

They were unsurprised, and almost seemed to know that I would wind up going eventually. I told them the same goodbyes that I had given my surrogate family in Jorvaskr, and headed for the stables.

I had hired a cart to take me to Winterhold; I had been there once on a job to exterminate a bear that had gotten into a woman's home. The village was dreadfully desolate; barely anyone lived there.

I reached the stables and climbed in the back of the cart. I laid down on the cart's seat and stared at the sky. The twinkling of the stars behind the glowing auroras was beautiful. I searched the sky for the Warrior, the Thief, and the Mage. I fell asleep with the image of the Mage's constellation burned into my head.

* * *

AN: Plot twist! Don't worry, this will still definitely be about the Companions mostly, but I think that any self-respecting mage would train at the College. It just seemed like the best way to advance her magic.

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review!


	11. Chapter 11

AN: For my Honors English class, we have to write a term paper on a literary topic. The paper is going to be long too, so I may not update every Saturday like I said I would.

We are winding down to the end of the school year, and its my senior year, so I'm going to be unimaginably busy. Sorry. :/ I'll update whenever possible; at least once every two weeks, though. Maybe more.

Thank you to everyone that has stuck with this story; it means a lot to know that people enjoy something that I enjoy making!

Sorry for the long AN; now onto the chapter!

* * *

_Well, at least the place lives up to its name_ I thought grimly. The farther north I went, the heavier the snowfall. There seemed to be a never ending blizzard surrounding the entire area, coating every tree, house, and person that got caught in it.

Winterhold was, by far, the smallest of the nine major settlements of Skyrim; there were three or four buildings and the College.

Upon asking about the College, I was immediately told to stay away from it. Most of the inhabitants believed that the College was the reason for the storm that swallowed the majority of Winterhold. There was a general hatred of magic in Winterhold. Deciding against staying in the inn, I headed straight for the College.

As I was about to step onto the dilapidated ridge, I was stopped by an Altmer woman.

"Halt. If you want passage, you must show your meddle first. Summon a flame atronach here," she said pointing to a panel on the ground,"and if you need the spell, I can sell it to you." she said in a commanding voice.

Being with the Companions for so long had toughened me up, but I was still intimidated by this woman. I did as she asked and watched her demeanor change instantly.

"I'm sorry about that," she said, "but we've had problems with the local Nords lately. We can never be too careful. My name is Faralda." she said in a much friendlier voice.

Disconcerted by the change in attitude, I simply replied, "My name is Isabelle."

She began to lead me across the broken bridge. The broken chunks of the bridge afforded me a view of the couple hundred foot drop to the ground. _I'm going to get blown off this bridge, and there won't even be a way to identify my body after I hit the ground_ I thought with a shudder.

After successfully reaching the end of the bridge, I watched as the gates opened on their own. Impressed, I followed Faralda into a circular courtyard. In the center stood a large statue of a Mage siphoning magic into the sky. I broke out of my reverie when Farlada began to speak.

"I'm assuming that you want to become a student, right?" she asked.

Nodding my head in an affirmative, she carried on. "You'll need to speak with Mirabelle. She takes new admissions, and she'll get you all set up. She'll probably be in the Hall of the Elements."

At my blank look she added, "The big building behind the statue."

Thanking her for her help, I headed straight to the hall to search for Mirabelle.

* * *

Mirabelle turned out to be a Breton like me, and was Master Wizard here at the college. The Master Wizard is second in command to the Arch-Mage, the top of the totem.

Mirabelle gave me directions to all of the facilities of the College, and a set of student robes._ I'm just going to wear my Adept robes, thank you very much_ I cringed at the thought of downgrading.

After giving me all of the necessary information, she sent me to my first class. I went to the main room of the Hall of the Elements.

The room was large and circular, a recurring theme throughout the College. As I went inside, I immediately spotted Tolfdir, along with my fellow classmates. There was a young Nord man, a Dark Elf woman, and a Khajiit man. All three looked to be around my age, and were wearing the horrible Novice robes.

The lesson had been easy enough; we learned about wards. I had never payed much attention to the shields, as the majority of my opponents just used regular weapons instead of magic.

After the lesson was finished, I decided to seek out Faralda. _If I want to be back in two months, I should hurry my training_ I thought with determination. As I entered the Hall of Countenance, I was met with the same architecture as the Hall of Attainment; a round building with bedrooms off of the center room, and a fountain of magicka in the middle of the room. There were also two floors, just like in the Hall of Attainment.

It didn't take me long to find Faralda. She was sitting in what I assumed to be her bedroom, reading The Art of War Magic. I hadn't made myself known before she spoke.

"I was wondering when you would show up. I'm assuming you're here for training?" she asked with a smile.

With a respectful bow of my head I replied, "Yes ma'am. I really came here to focus on Destruction and Conjuration magic."

"Come now. You don't have to call me ma'am. It makes me feel old, and I'm not that much older than you. For Conjuration training, you'll want to see Phinis." she told me with a laugh.

She continued, "Let's go to the Hall of Elements. There's more room for activities." She stood up and began to walk, so I followed.

"So how far along are you with your training? Novice, Apprentice?" she inquired.

I replied, "Adept. I can use spells like Ice Storm, Fireball, and Chain Lightning, but not for long. I need to gain a larger magicka reserve, so what better place to do that than here?"

She looked surprised. "Usually people have that problem when they reach the apprentice level spells; how long have you been casting?"

I smiled. "Before I can remember. My mother said that I would conjure familiars as a toddler."

Faralda let out a laugh. "This should be easy. You must have a natural talent for it. Phinis will be pleased." We went inside the Hall, still chatting as if we had been friends forever. _Just like Vilkas and I_.

* * *

After a long and grueling month, I was happy. I had learned to cast the adept spells plenty of times before running out of magicka. Faralda had become one of my best friends, along with Brelyna, the dark elf woman who joined the College around the same time as me.

_One month down, one to go. I can't wait to see everyone again; I love it here, but how I miss the warmer plains of Whiterun_! I honestly was enjoying it here, but it feel as if there is a hole in my heart; one that is Jorvaskr shaped.

Through my month here, there had also been an increasingly suspicious Thalmor advisor here. Ancano is one of the most unpleasant people I've ever been around. Just the thought of him makes my skin crawl.

Ever since the Eye of Magnus had been recovered from Saarthal, he had been acting even more strangely. Even Arch-Mage Aren has been uneasy around Ancano.

The strangest part of this had to be the Psijic monk that appeared to me twice. The first time was in Saarthal, before Tolfdir and I found the Eye. The second was after the Eye had been relocated to the College. The Psijic Order is worried about the Eye, and say that it needs to be removed. He also told me to seek out the Augur of Dunlain, who turned out to be a glowing orb of energy who resided in the Midden. He told me that I needed to find the Staff of Magnus.

Now, I'm heading to Mzulft, per Mirabelle's orders. Apparently there are wizards looking for the staff there.

* * *

_I hate Dwemer ruins *I thought with a scowl. I had been fighting my way through the dank and musty halls. _This is so much easier to do with a shield-brother or sister!*

Upon arriving, I met a bloodied Mage who had a key to get into the ruins, and I've just been following the halls since then. My newly found destruction power was coming in handy too. I could blast the Falmer with fireballs until I was satisfied. _At this rate, I'll be ready for Expert level spells soon!_

I came into a large room holding four Falmer, one of which looked to be carrying around the focusing crystal that the Mage in the first room spoke about. Thanking Drevis for teaching me how to cast spells silently, I cast an iron flesh spell, summoned a frost atronach, and conjured a bow.

I aimed at the weakest looking of the beasts, and fired. The surprise attack killed the creature instantly, but now the remaining three knew I was there. _Here we go!_

I stood up and cast a flame cloak spell, and charged. When I got within a few feet, I let go of a chain lightning spell; the effect was instant. All of the Falmer stumbled backwards, which have my atronach an opening to slam down on them.

I decided to pick of the weakest before killing the leader. While my atronach kept the Falmer occupied, I sneaked away and conjured my bow again.

The fight slowly began to dwindle as the two weaker Falmer died, and my atronach and I tag teamed the remaining Falmer. A few more minutes, and the Falmer fell. I gingerly stood from my hiding place, and walked to the body. The crystal was the size of both of my fists. Once I had it secured in my bag, I began to look around only to see a huge locked door.

As I jiggled the handle, I heard someone yell to go away.

"The Falmer are dead; you're safe! Let me in." I yelled back.

I immediately heard the lock click, and the door swung open. The man was wearing generic blue mages robes, and looked to be a little worse for wear.

"Who are you? Where is Gavros?" he said impatiently.

I felt my hackles raise as I replied. "My name is Isabelle. Gavros is dead; he gave me the key to get in the ruins before he died. He told me you were trapped."

Instead of looking crestfallen like I thought he would, he just looked mildly annoyed. "I told him he shouldn't have tried to run, but did he listen? No. Now, why are you here?"

Shocked at his callousness, I just said, "I was told you might be able to help me find something."

"Of course I can. That's why Im here; the Oculory. It shows concentrated points of magic in Tamriel." he said smugly.

"You'll need this then." I said handing him the crystal.

His face lit up. "You found it? I was worried that the Falmer had ruined the entire operation by taking that! Follow me; there is no time to loose!" He began jogging up a long ramp until we reached the top. The machine was unlike anything I had seen before; long rods and crystals seemed to be everywhere. After we placed the crystal, he told me to calibrate the thing.

After a while of thinking, I sprayed the crystal with flames and watched as it changed the focal points. _Heat and cold must be the answer; this is impressive_.

After getting the light in the correct place, a map was cast on the wall in front of us. There was a huge blip on the map at the College. _That must be the Eye_.

But there was another spot showing on a huge Nordic ruin called Labrynthian. I had been through the place with Farkas and Athis on a job before. I've never seen a Nordic ruin as big as that one. I had all but forgotten about the man standing to my left until he began to sputter.

"I knew the idiots at the College were lying! They told me that there was nothing of importance there! I'll be sure to have the Synod claim the object; it should be in the Imperial City, not with a bunch of idiot Nords!" he yelled, incensed.

I felt my anger rising. "They are not idiots! If we are, then you just got played by an idiot! I just used you to show me where the Staff of Magnus is!"

Instead of replying, he just readied a spell. Surprised, I barely casted a ward before it was coated in fire. _This guy is a lunatic_!

I waited for a break in the magic before freezing him solid with an ice storm spell. I felt good about not killing him, until I heard the ice shatter. _Oops_.

As I was leaving, a Psijic Monk appeared to me again. All he told me was to hurry back to the College, before disappearing. Worried, I began to hastily make my way out of the ruins.

* * *

_Damn bears. Why won't they just stay out of the way?_ I thought with a growl. I was walking back from Windhelm, after clearing out Stony Creek Cave.

Ever since Isabelle had left, I had been irritable. She had quickly turned into one of the best friends I had ever had, and then her abrupt departure had left me dazed and confused._ Not to mention the beast blood has been harder to control_ I thought with a sigh.

_I wonder how she is doing? Excelling, I'm sure. I hate not knowing if she is okay. The occasional letter just isn't enough; this month must pass quickly, or I might go crazy_.

As I was walking, I saw someone jogging in front of me. At first, I thought my mind was playing tricks on me, but then I could hear the crunching of her footsteps. She also had on familiar robes.

"Isabelle?" I called out, surprised.

She stopped and turned around. Before she could speak, I grabbed her up in a bear hug. _She's okay!_

"Vilkas! This is perfect timing, come with me to Winterhold! I'm going to need your help. There is a Thalmor agent at the College, and I think he is up to something bad." she said in one voice.

_Winterhold? That's not too far, I can handle it._ "Alright. We can't have you running off and getting killed by some pansy elf." I said with a smirk.

She tried to scowl, but I could see the smile she was trying to hide.

The walk back to Winterhold was full of catching up, and mindless chatter. She asked about everyone back at Jorvaskr, and I asked about her progression at the College. She excitedly told me about her quick grasp of destruction magic and her friendship with the destruction teacher. I was content to listen to her speak all day, glad to be able to hear her voice again.

* * *

I can't believe I found Vilkas out here! He told me he had been clearing out a cave near Mzulft. _Sadly, I think he is going to see the worst that the College has to offer_.

I wasn't disappointed. When we reached the College everyone, except for Mirabelle and Arch-Mage Aren, were standing in the court yard.

"It's Ancano! He's gone insane; he's locked himself up with the Eye! Mirabelle and The Arch-Mage have gone inside to try to break through the barrier." Faralda told me when she saw me.

I turned to Vilkas. "Wait out here; you can come in when you hear fighting!" Not waiting for a reply, I busted through the doors of the Hall of the Elements. Just as Faralda said, the leaders of the College were pelting the barrier with magic.

Arch-Mage Aren spoke. "Isabelle, help us tear this down. We have to get to Ancano! Just throw magic at it; two people just aren't enough!"

I readied a Wall of Lightning spell and began pumping the barrier with it. Eventually, the barrier began to dissolve.

"Hurry, before it comes back!" I barely managed to jump through the gap in the barrier before it closed.

"Ancano! Stop this now! You haven't a clue what you are doing! You'll kill us all!" Arch-Mage Aren yelled.

A surprised look passed over Ancano's face before being replaced with an angry look. Instead of replying, he just began to funnel the magic even more. The last thing I remember was being hit with a shock wave and hitting the wall.

* * *

AN: That's the longest chapter I've ever written! Thanks for reading!


	12. Chapter 12

AN: I'm back. My school's basketball team is in the playoffs for a state championship, so we were all excused to be from school today. I stayed home so I could get this done (and I don't like basketball)!

* * *

My head was throbbing. When I opened my eyes, I saw Ancano had created another shield around himself. Leaning against a pillar across from me was Mirabelle. Other than her arm being at an awkward angle, she seemed to be alright. "Are you okay?"

She replied in a weak voice. "I'm fine; I don't know where the Arch-Mage is though. You need to find him."

I nodded my head and stood up. After the dizziness faded, I casted a healing spell and left the Hall of the Elements. When I stepped outside into the blizzard, I saw everyone huddled in a group. My breath caught when I arrived; the Arch-Mage was dead. _He'll pay for this_!

As I went to turn around and go back to Mirabelle, I was spun around roughly by Vilkas. "I'm not waiting around to watch you get blown up. I'm coming with you."

Before we could head inside, Tolfdir came running to me. "Whatever killed the Arch-Mage is now attacking Winterhold! Faralda and Drevis are already down there fighting the things; you need to head down and lend a hand! I'll take care of things here."

With a nod, I ran down the dilapidated bridge and into town. What looked to be ice wraiths, but bigger, were attacking the town. Vilkas and I jumped straight into the fight, and I learned quickly that magic seemed to be relatively useless against the anomalies.

Conjuring a storm atronach, I retreated and summoned a bow. The anomalies were being hurt much worse by the arrows than my magic! The anomalies were weak, offensively. We dispatched them quickly. After the fight Faralda came up to me. "Drevis and I will deal with the Jarl; you need to head back up to the College."

As we headed back up, I noticed Vilkas had blood on his side. "You're bleeding."

With a grunt, he just ignored me and kept trudging on. "Vilkas, stop. You won't be any good to me if you're dead! Let me heal you!"

Growling, he turned around and spoke through gritted teeth. "Fine."

I lifted his shirt and saw a nasty gash, presumably from the tail of one of the anomalies. Resisting the urge to trace the muscles of his abdomen, I got to work healing the wound. I put both hands onto the wound and heard Vilkas hiss in pain. "Sorry."

After a few minutes, you couldn't tell that there had been a gash at all, if you ignored the blood on his clothes an armor. He looked surprised. "I guess you have learned a thing or two during your stay here."

Smiling, I let his shirt fall back down and I stood up. "Definitely. I spent a lot of my savings here, I hope that I learned a few useful things! Now, let's get back to the College."

* * *

After telling Mirabelle about the Arch-Mage's death, she immediately gave us the Torc of Labrynthian, saying that the Arch-Mage had given it to her recently. He said she would know what to do with it when the time came.

We found ourselves heading for the ancient Nordic burial grounds of Labrynthian, in central skyrim. I was definitely enjoying the warmer air here. _Which isn't really saying much, considering how cold Skyrim is everywhere_!

Vilkas has been "discretely" staring at me for the majority of the trip. Deciding I didn't like the intense scrutiny, I simply looked at him. "Why are you staring at me? Is there something wrong?"

Surprised that he had been caught, his pale skin had turned pink. "Something about you is different. I don't know what, but something is."

I frowned. "What are you talking about? I'm the same girl that I was before I left. Is it my hair? It is a bit longer, but I didn't think it was noticeable."

He let out an uncomfortable laugh. "It's not your hair. You seem more sure of yourself; you walk with your head held a bit higher, your back straighter. You seem prouder."

My face burned. "So you're saying that I was essentially a slob before I left for the College?"

He looked surprised and answered in a flustered tone. "No! It's a good thing, being proud I mean."

I smiled and laughed. "I'm just teasing. I know what you meant, and thanks. I feel more confident, now that I know what I'm doing."

After that, the only sounds were the crunching of grass under our feet.

* * *

Flames were pouring from my hands onto a Draugr. It slashed and I stepped back, narrowly avoiding the sharp blade. I could hear swords clashing to my left and Vilkas' grunts as he swung his greatsword.

The majority of the time inside of Labrynthian had been spent burning Draugr. _Well, except for the skeletal dragon that tried to kill us!_ Luckily, we followed the ghosts of past Arch-Mages through the labrynth of a tomb.

We've got to be close to the end. I'm not sure if Vilkas could feel it, but I have felt an immense source of power pulling at me the farther we go inside of the tomb. _That has to be the Staff of Magnus_!

Sadly, what I was feeling wasn't only the Staff of Magnus, but was also an immensely powerful Mage. We entered the final room just in time to watch two necromancers get blasted off of their podiums. The lightning was followed by a spine chilling screech. I whispered as quietly as I could to Vilkas to hide. He nodded and slinked into the shadows.

I crouched and walked in between the two platforms and went up the steps to my left. When I reached the top, my breath caught in my throat.

What looked to be a Draugr with fancy armor was floating on the platform across from me and holding an odd looking staff. _That's a dragon priest; Tolfdir told me that they usually guard tombs_. _I bet that is the Staff of Magnus_.

Creeping as close to the edge as I could, I stood. Its head immediately snapped towards me, and it growled something out in the same language as the dragon that attacked Whiterun. "I don't understand you, ugly, and I don't care to. Hand over the staff, or die."

Instead of replying, it cast a thunderbolt at me. I barely raised a ward before it hit me. "Fine! Have it your way!" I began to pelt the thing with my own thunderbolts, while trying to dodge the dragon priest's volley of spells. Something weird happened next; our spells connected.

The spells met in the middle, and I began trying to push my magic back onto my opponent. The force of the collision was causing tendrils of unstable magicka to shoot out and cut into the walls around us. It seemed like hours before the dragon priest began to weaken. I quickly used the last bit of magicka I had left to win the fight. When my magicka finally reached the dragon priest, it let out a shriek and flew into the wall before turning to ash and leaving a mask and the Staff.

The explosion sent me skidding backwards where I slumped against the wall, drained. I had my head between my knees when I heard Vilkas running up the stairs. Before saying anything, he had my head turned up and was pouring a magicka potion down my throat. I spluttered, but immediately began to feel better. "That was amazing. I've never seen anything like that; I didn't know it was possible!"

Weakly, I smiled. "That was pretty awesome, if I say so myself. We need to get the Staff and get back to Winterhold."

Vilkas held out a hand to help me up. "We should get going then."

I stood when he pulled, causing me to stumble into his chest. I looked up at him and began to blush. I backed up and quickly as possible, walked to the edge of the platform. I cast a telekenesis spell on the staff and watched as it flew towards me. "Let's go. We have a Thalmor to kill."

* * *

We returned to Winterhold in record time. There were people in the streets, pointing towards the College. What I saw made me stop breathing. A huge barrier had surrounded the College and I could see a group of Mages on the bridge. I began running towards them, and had to push a few towns people to get through.

I saw Toldfir leading the group. "What happened? Where is Mirabelle?"

He looked miserable. "She died. She gave up her life to save ours. We have to get back in there and kill Ancano!"

My blood was boiling. I readied the Staff of Magnus and began firing it towards the barrier and watched in satisfaction as it fell apart easily. I led the group farther and farther into the College. We shortly reached the Hall of the Elements.

Tolfdir stepped up and yelled at Ancano. "Stop this at once! You haven't a clue what you are doing! You'll kill us all, including yourself!"

I watched Ancano get ready to attack us all, but this time I was ready. I fired the Staff at the Eye. "Not this time Ancano. You lose!"

I began spraying him with fire until he reconnected with the Eye. The others were steadily fighting anomalies that kept appearing. Surprisingly, the fight was relatively easy. I attacked the Eye with the Staff, attacked Ancano, and repeated.

Ancano fell. After he fell, I began to drain the Eye with the Staff until the anomalies died. Not missing a beat, the Psijic monks appeared again, except to all of us, instead of just me. They addressed me. "You've performed admirably. You did just as we asked, and saved the world from the Eye. It isn't safe here at the College; we will dispose of it. The world isn't ready for the Eye of Magnus."

The leader continued. "Without you, Ancano would have gained unlimited power. We thank you. For your efforts, you shall become the new Arch-Mage."

I heard gasps behind me, and I felt light-headed. _What_?!

The monks then turned to the Eye and I watched as they sent the Eye away. Without a goodbye, they disappeared with the Eye. _Good riddance_.

* * *

Tolfdir made my position official. I assigned him as Mater Wizard, as he had been here the longest. I was given the key to the Arch-Mage's quarters and the Arch-Mage's Robes. After being assured by Tolfdir that he could handle the day-to-day happenings of the College, I retired to my new chambers.

It wasn't long before I heard a knocking on the door. I was pleased to see Vilkas on the other side. "Congratulations. You're the Kodlak of the College."

I laughed at his phrasing as I led him to a seat. "The funny thing is, I just came here to train a bit. I didn't mean to become the Arch-Mage."

He laughed, but something seemed to be off. "Something's wrong. Again. What is it?"

He looked up at me with surprisingly sad eyes. "You aren't coming back to the Companions, are you?"

Surprised, I sent him a confused look. "What are you talking about? I may be the Arch-Mage, but the Companions are my family." I added softly, "I couldn't stay away, even if I tried."

Happiness filled his eyes, and a smirk graced his face. He seemed to be trying to save face after his vulnerable admission. "Thank Talos. I don't think Viranus would be able to survive without you."

I groaned. "I forgot all about him!"

We laughed all night, and in the morning, I would be heading back to Whiterun, where I belong. *With a new set of awesome robes. *

* * *

AN: Done with the College for now! Thanks for reading; we'll get more into the Companions story line. I butchered the College quest because this story is supposed to be about the Companions, not the College. Don't forget to review and favorite!


	13. Chapter 13

AN: I'm soooo sorry that I didn't update last week! This past week I've done over one hundred note cards on Hamlet in preparation for my term paper, I've taken exams in every class I have, and my grandfather has been in the hospital! Needless to say, this hasn't really been a priority this past week!

Onto the chapter!

* * *

The happiest people to see me were the Companions and my parents. Before I had been inside of Jorvaskr for more than five minutes, Farkas had lifted me off the ground in a bone-crushing hug. Aela happily jumped onto me as soon as Farkas sat me down, and then the questions started.

Aela started the interrogation first. "How in Ysgramor's name did you become the Arch-Mage? We thought you were just going to train a bit!"

A sheepish grin slid onto my face. "Well, I did go there to study. As a matter of fact, on a trip with one of the teachers into an old tomb, we found an endless amount of power that started the entire thing. Long story short, a Thalmor adviser went crazy with power, then proceeded to try to harness it for himself. Things got ugly, and I did what I had to. Apparently, the things I did were worthy enough to name me the new Arch-Mage."

My mother's face had the proudest look I've ever seen. "I always knew that you would do great things involving the Arcana!"

The night was spent by everyone catching me up on what had gone on while I was away, and myself regaling the tales of my trip to them. It had to be after midnight, so I bade everyone a good night and headed down into the sleeping quarters.

Before I could make it out of the room, Farkas stopped me. "I understand if you want to rest tomorrow, but if you'd like, you could come with me on a mission? Aela gave me one tonight, and its in one of those old tombs. They give me the creeps, not to mention they always have spiders in 'em. We'll be leaving pretty early tomorrow, though."

Excited, I replied. "I'd love to! It's been way too long since I fought alongside a Shield-Sibling!"

A smile lit up his face. "Great! I'll meet you in front of Jorvaskr at sunrise then?"

I nodded with a smile and watched as he walked away. _If I'm getting up at sunrise, then I guess I should get some shut eye._

I was heading into the shared quarters, when I heard my father call my name from behind me. My mother spoke first. "Congratulations! As soon as your father and I heard about the new Arch-Mage, we knew it was you."

My father took over. "That's why we decided to do this for you." He handed me a key.

I studied the key before looking back up to my father. "What is it for?"

He smiled. "That's the key to the house next to Adrianne Avenicci's shop. The Jarl said it is called Breezehome."

Tears filled my eyes. _How did I get such wonderful parents?_ I flung myself at them and cried into my father's shoulder, right in the middle of the hallway. "I love you both so much!"

My mother spoke again. "You'll need to buy some decorations for it from the Jarl's steward. We bought the necessities, so you'll be fine."

After catching up with them, my father told me that "we are too old for this late night stuff," and that they needed to get back to the farm. After promising that I would come and see the farm and visit with them, I gathered my few belongings, and headed back up to the main hall. Everyone was still up there having a good time. I told them all that I would be living in Breezehome from now on, but that I would still be in Jorvaskr all day to ease any worries. I left out the part of being added to the Circle and headed to my new home.

Since it was so late, I didn't have to worry about bumping into anyone in the crowded market area as I walked down to my new house. I arrived and noticed that the house would be the perfect size for me; not too big, nor too small. The key fit into the lock, and I entered into my house for the first time.

The first thing I noticed was the cooking spit with two chairs seated around it. _Thank Talos they got the kitchen upgrade!_ The rest of the first floor was pretty much barren, so I headed up the stairs. At the top, there was a small guest room immediately to the left.

There was one more room on the second floor. _That must be the master bedroom._ I pushed the door open, and a smile graced my face. I nice double bed was the centerpiece of the room. There was also a small table in a corner of the room, two dressers on either side of the bed, and a storage chest. _I think I'm going to like it here _I thought, before crashing onto the bed tiredly.

* * *

Things were going great until we entered the room with the gate, I thought it would be easy. Just flip the lever and proceed into the tomb. I walked to the lever, flipped it, and watched the gate behind me slam down.

Farkas had asked me to travel with him on a mission inside of an old tomb, because they "gave him the creeps."

Farkas told me he would find a way out, when a group of mercenaries cornered Farkas. I had a lightning spell charged and ready to fire through the grate, when Farkas began to _transform_. I watched in shock as a large wolf standing on its hind legs took Farkas' place. The beast neatly took out the men who called themselves the Silver-Hand, and then ran into the room that I opened with the lever.

The gate in front of me raised, and I readied the most powerful destruction spells I had. _What if he attacks me? _Surprisingly, instead of the black beast coming back around the corner, Farkas came around in nothing but his loin cloth. _What the hell just happened?_

Farkas looked worried. "I didn't scare you too bad, did I?"

I didn't know how to respond, so I just said the first thing that came to mind. "You're a werewolf."

He looked a little surprised at my calm voice. "Yeah, I'm not the only one. Aela, Skjor, Kodlak, and Vilkas are too."

I almost fainted. "Why haven't you all told me? This is pretty big news!"

Farkas looked unsure about that. "I'm not really sure. I guess it wouldn't do to tell everyone we met. None of the whelps know; we don't know who they would tell. We can trust you though. I'm sure Kodlak would've told you soon enough, now that you're part of the Circle."

I had calmed down enough to speak without blowing up. "I'm sorry for freaking out on you. This is just... unexpected."

He looked happy that I hadn't run of screaming. "Don't worry, I wouldn't attack you. I'm still in control."

We began heading through the tomb again. We encountered more Silver-Hand and a couple of Draugr. After a while, all we began to see was Draugr. _I guess the Silver-Hand either never made it this far, or the Draugr killed them all._

We finally reached a huge room lined with sarcophagi. At the end of the hall was a lone sarcophagi and a strangely shaped wall. I turned to Farkas and motioned for him to be quiet. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't move stealthily. The lids of the sarcophagi began to pop off, one by one.

Luckily the Draugr weren't too tough. The lid of the lone sarcophagi popped off, revealing a Draugr Deathlord. _I guess this guy is here to make up for the lack of the others!_

I charged up a single fireball and released. The fireball just seemed to make the Draugr angry. _Time to up the ante._

I conjured a Dremora Lord and readied incinerate in both hands. Farkas looked surprised; the last time I fought with him, all I could do was conjure weak daedra and use weak spells. The Draugr was down in record time, and I headed up the stairs and found the fragment we were looking for inside of the Deathlord's sarcophagus.

I could hear a faint whispering noise. It seemed to be emanating from the weird wall, and the closer I got the louder the chanting got. "Farkas, do you hear that?"

He had a confused look on his face. "Hear what?"

Instead of replying, I just walked up next to the wall. My vision went immediately black, and I stumbled into the wall. The chanting got really loud, before stopping altogether. I could feel the same energy that I shouted with stirring in me.

Farkas was at my side. "What happened? Are you okay?"

I shook him off. "I'm fine. I just got dizzy." _It's weird. I feel fine now. _"Let's just get out of here."

* * *

I woke up startled, until I remembered where I was. I checked the dressers and was happy to find that there were a few belted tunics and some shoes. _It will definitely be nice to wear some normal clothes for the day! _I put on the tunic, folded and placed the Arch-Mage robes into a dresser, and headed downstairs. I looked at the cooking pot and decided that I would learn how to cook eventually, but right now, I had to get out of the house.

I arrived at the mead hall in record time, and was surprised to see Farkas passed out on one of the tables, Aela sprawled out in the middle of the floor, andTorvar half-dressed and slumped in a chair at an odd angle. I let out a small laugh, stepped over Aela and headed out to the training area in the back. Again, I had forgotten completely about Viranus. _I didn't even see him last night._

Before I could sneak back inside, he turned and saw me. _Damn it!_ "Isabelle, you're back! When did you get back? I heard that you're the Arch-Mage now? How did that happen? What's it like?"

I stopped him before he could ask anymore questions. "Last night, yes I am the new Arch-Mage, I proved myself worthy of the title to the mages in Winterhold, and it is weird. Where were you last night? Out on a job?"

I saw a dark look pass over his face for a fraction of a second before he spoke. "I was out on a job. Aela had me clearing out a cave in the Rift."

_There was that look again. Something is up with this guy._ "Ah. Well, I'll just let you get back to training."

He looked excited. "I know! We can spar!"

I tried to look excited. "Sure."

He headed out to the middle of the yard and I stood opposite him a few feet. "Start anytime you're ready."

He immediately slashed. I was surprised and stumbled backwards a bit. I managed to cast my iron flesh spell and conjure a sword just in time to block his sword. _What the hell? He fights a lot better than I thought! And a silver sword? That's unusual._

I kept blocking his blows, before finally exploiting a weakness of his of leaving his left side exposed while striking. I hit him with one well placed attack to his side, sending him tumbling to the ground.

I heard a booming laugh coming from the veranda. Vilkas was clutching his sides while laughing. Viranus was giving him the evil eye from his spot on the ground. _Oh here we go._

I shot Vilkas a dirty look, and he quieted down, but didn't stop snickering. Viranus, surprisingly stood up looked at Vilkas and spoke to him in a nasty voice. "Unlike you, I'm not going to try to cause any problems today."

Vilkas looked as if he was about to explode as Viranus walked away. Thinking fast, I spoke. "At least you got rid of him for me."

He grunted, and still looked angry. "Oh come on. Just drop it please? I don't feel like cleaning any blood up today."

That got the closest thing to a smile I would get from Vilkas. "While I enjoy watching you pummel the idiot, that wasn't the reason I came out here. Kodlak told us what was going on. You're going to be on par with Aela, Skjor, Farkas, and myself. Congratulations. Kodlak told me to come out here, because we would be initiating you in a few minutes. They'll all be coming out here soon."

My jaw almost hit the ground. "I'm going to be part of the Circle?"

With a sly smile, he simply nodded. I let out a squeal and bear-hugged him, before turning around at the sound of the opening door.

A groaning Aela and Farkas came out. After returning from Dustman's Cairn last night, Aela and Farkas had gotten into a drinking competition. I grinned evilly at Vilkas before turning to the two. In a loud and chipper voice I told them both good morning. I received two very unhappy glares, and a snort of laughter from Vilkas. Kodlak followed the two out, and then Skjor. _I guess this is really happening._

The five members of the Companions formed a semi-circle and stood in front of me. The ceremony was short and sweet, but was enough to put tears in my eyes. _I promise I won't let any of you down!_

* * *

AN: This is it for now. I don't really like how this came out, but it'll just have to do. Thanks for reading!

EDIT: I am a complete dumb-dumb. I had the chronology of this chapter so skewed it wasn't even funny. I went back through and tried to fix this pitiful excuse for a chapter. Thank you for being so patient with me!


	14. Chapter 14

AN: I am so sorry that I'm just now updating this! I've been in term paper hell for the past month! I finally got it turned in last Friday, so now I'm just coasting until graduation in May!

I got my early birthday/graduation/valedictorian present today: a MacBook Pro! This definitely is going to help me be motivated to write more! It has Word, too, meaning that I don't have to fight with the junky free word processors you can get online.

Enough of my incessant chatter; onto the chapter!

* * *

Ever since my initiation that morning, every Companion had been celebrating. Night came hours ago; most had given up by now and succumbed to an alcohol-induced sleep. I had been avoiding the mead; Nords may be able to stand up to the stuff, but a little Breton like me would be knocked flat on my back.

Throughout the night, I had been hanging in the shadows against the walls, watching my comrades make fools of themselves. There were singing drunkards on top of most every flat surface; the party had grown so large, even some citizens of Whiterun had joined the party.

Every now and again, I would be approached by one of the drunken warriors. Every time, he or she would ask a nonsensical question, to which I would reply with an even more bizarre answer. They would then nod their head as if they completely understood, then would leave in search of more mead. While laughing to myself at the latest questions, I was approached by a surprising sober Skjor and Aela.

The huntress spoke first. "You're part of the Circle now, and I think you deserve to be treated like it."

Skjor butted in. "That pitiful excuse for a ceremony this morning was only the beginning. The real initiation hasn't happened yet. Aela and I hope to remedy that."

Before either of them could speak again, I responded. "What are you two talking about?"

Both of them looked surprised, before Skjor decided to speak. "Gaining the beast blood, of course. Every member of the Circle takes the beast blood."

Shock filled me. "You want me to become a werewolf?"

Aela, noticing my growing alarm, shushed me and pulled me out back to the training grounds. "Don't be so loud, someone might hear you!"

Skjor took the reigns, and spoke to me in an even tone. "The beast blood is a great gift. You can't comprehend the raw power that floods your body while in the beast form. You feel unstoppable, invincible even."

_They wouldn't lie to me, would they?_ "I need to think about this; this is such a big decision!"

Aela nodded her head. "That's fine; we can wait a bit longer. Don't make us wait too long."

At that, both turned and went back inside. I headed towards one of the tables under the veranda to think. _Could I live as a werewolf? I don't know how to feel about this. On one hand, I feel like it would be great, but on the other hand, something just feels wrong about it. _

Instead of pondering any longer about it, I walked into the middle of the training area, and stood. I focused on the breeze ruffling my shoulder-length chestnut hair, the chill of the night on my skin, and the wind rustling the leaves around me. I had become so absorbed in the night, that I didn't hear the opening door of Jorvaskr.

"You needed some fresh air, too?" Vilkas' gravely voice called out.

I jumped, startled. "You're still standing? I figured you would have been out a while ago."

A wolfish grin spread over his face. "I'm a Nord, and Nords can handle their mead."

I adopted an innocent look. "So why are there around ten passed out Nords inside?"

Instead of becoming sullen, he just let out a laugh. "Because they're milk-drinkers!"

A confused look spread across my face. "What? That didn't even make sense!"

Then, he let out a hiccup. "Yes, it did."

I deadpanned, and said in disbelief, "You're drunk."

Vilkas made his way towards me, and I was enveloped by the scent of mead emanating from him. "'m not drunk! Well, maybe a little."

Before I could reply, Vilkas leaned down and planted a sloppy kiss on my cheek. My face turned scarlet as he spoke. "You're a great friend, 'een when I'm not. 'm sorry for always bein' so moody."

My heart melted. _So there is a heart underneath all of that armor?_ "It's okay; I forgive you. You're a good friend too, even if you don't think so." _I wish you were more than just a good friend._

I could feel Vilkas begin to sway. _Oh sweet Talos, please don't pass out here!_ Sadly, Vilkas did just that, and sent me tumbling to the ground with him. _Well, it could be worse. Viranus could be the one lying on top of me!_

After struggling for a few minutes and failing to get out from under Vilkas' body, I finally gave up. _While I'm just sitting here, I might as well think about Aela and Skjor's proposition. _

There was a small voice in my head telling me to just do it. _Maybe it'll make Vilkas like you!_

The logical side of my brain contributed then. _I shouldn't base my decision off of a man! This is life altering!_

_If not for him, then for you! You've always wanted to be powerful; this is the perfect opportunity to grow your power exponentially!_ It hissed.

My brain agreed with my heart there. _I have always felt small. Maybe this will help._

Deciding that I would make a final decision tomorrow, I snuggled into Vilkas' arms and went to sleep in record time.

* * *

I was cold. And hungry. _Where in Oblivion am I?_ I opened my eyes, only to be met with the sight of the sky. _Oh yeah. Vilkas pinned me down._ The aforementioned man was still sound asleep by my side, and had a blissful look on his face.

During the night, somehow Vilkas and I had ended up wrapped in each other's arms. _I'm so glad I woke up first. Vilkas would make a big deal out of it, and probably be mad at the world for a week. _I set to work on untangling myself as quickly and quietly as possible.

After a few minutes, I managed to get up. _I guess I'll just leave him here; let him feel like an idiot!_ With a small laugh, I walked around the mead hall and into the market area of Whiterun. It must have still been pretty early; there wasn't even a guard walking around!

I headed for Breezehome. _I'm not about to walk around in the same clothes from yesterday. The last thing I need is rumors!_

After changing into my Arch-Mage robes, I grabbed an apple from my still poorly furnished kitchen. _I really need to fix that. _I looked around at the rest of Breezehome, and decided that it definitely needed a little bit of tender loving care.

While making a mental note of heading to Dragonsreach and buying some more furnishings, I headed back to Jorvaskr. _I feel like blowing something up._ The training yard was still relatively empty, if you didn't count Vilkas' unconscious body. After dragging him out of harms way, I began my usual ritual before training.

I let all thoughts that didn't involve my magic leave my mind. I closed in my eyes and breathed in the crisp morning air, and concentrated on creating torrents of fire. _I guess you could call this my own form of meditation._ I did that for another fifteen minutes, until I felt focused enough.

I opened my eyes, and got into position. After cycling through most of the easier spells that I know, I switched to the more complex spells. _My time at the College was invaluable!_

After a half hour of training, I took a seat under the veranda. _That's such a great way to start the day_.

I heard a groan from the general direction of Vilkas' lifeless body. _This should be fun_. "Good morning!"

Instead of replying, Vilkas just let out a pained groan. _Maybe I'll be kind, just this once._ In a quieter voice, I spoke. "Do you want me to help you up? You wound up there last night after…" My voice trailed off. _I'll just leave out our slumber party_. "After you passed out against me."

Vilkas raised his head up and looked at me, mortified. "I passed out on you?"

Rolling my eyes, I replied. "Don't get your panties in a wad; you passed out on me, so I left you on the ground."

Vilkas had managed to stand up by this point. I took pity. "Do you want some water? I can get some for you, if you'd like?"

Vilkas nodded and sent a grateful look my way. I rose from my spot at the table and headed towards the door before pausing. I turned back to the table, grabbed a pitcher from the table, and filled it with a frost spell. After that, I held a flame under the pitcher until the ice had barely melted, before handing the pitcher to Vilkas.

He had a surprised look on his face. "That's the most practical use of magic I've ever seen."

I lightly blushed. "Thanks. It's easier than going to the well. And more convenient."

A cough came from beside us. I turned my head to be met with Aela. "That's just not right. When Farkas and I had hangovers, you were loud. And chipper," Aela shuddered, "where's the justice in that? Huh?"

I laughed at her as she took my old seat. Slowly, Jorvaskr came back to life. People began to enter and exit the ancient mead hall. I could hear the bustle of the market from where I was standing.

While I was listening to the bustle of the early morning, Vilkas swore. I turned to see him hurriedly heading inside. "What is it?"

"I took a job for clearing out a farmer's house in Dragon Bridge. I should've left two hours ago!" I helped Vilkas get his things together, before seeing him off. He was on the road within five minutes.

I went back to the training grounds and was surprised to see Aela still sitting there. Deciding that it was finally time that I did something spontaneous in my life, I spoke. "I'll do it."

Aela blinked, and looked at me in surprise. "Well, I thought it would take you longer to decide. That's fine. We'll wait until tonight, though. We don't like to do this during the day in case something goes wrong."

After agreeing to meet her and Skjor tonight at the training yard, I decided to head back to Breezehome and sleep until the night. _From the sound of it, I'll need all of the rest I can get!_

* * *

Night arrived quickly. I wore a plain outfit and a black cloak. I pulled the hood around my face. _If something goes wrong, I don't want anyone to have seen me out and about tonight._

I made it to Jorvaskr with no incidents, and went straight around back. Skjor and Aela were already waiting for me.

Aela spoke first. "I was worried you might back out."

I shook my head. "Once I make up my mind, I stick with it. For better, or for worse."

Skjor and Aela began walking towards the stairs to the Skyforge, but stopped next to the stone base of the forge. I watched as Skjor pressed against an oddly shaped part of the wall and watched in awe as the stone opened to reveal a dimly lit room.

I followed the two inside and was met with the sight of small pedestals surrounding a large basin in the center of the room. _That definitely has something to do with the ritual._

Skjor turned around and spoke to me. "This is the Underforge. This is where all but the first of the Companions have become werewolves."

A nagging feeling of dread was eating at me. "Let's just get this over with."

Skjor looked less than impressed with my nonchalant attitude, but got on with the ritual. "Aela, go ahead and change."

I watched in awe and fear as the woman I had come to love like the sister that I never had transformed into a big reddish-brown wolf. She padded over towards Skjor and stood with her arm over the basin. I watched in alarm as Skjor pulled out a steel dagger and dragged the blade across Aela's arm.

The crimson blood made a small puddle inside the basin. I looked into the blood and saw my reflection, but something was off. My eyes seemed… wild. I looked up at Skjor. "My reflection looks… off."

A dark smile covered his face. "The blood is showing you your new self."

Again, I forced down the alarm. "What do I have to do?"

He chuckled. "Drink."

My eyes grew wide. _So I have to drink the blood?_ "Fine."

With that, I reached a hand into the warm blood and cupped a palm full. My stomach turned as I brought the crimson fluid to my mouth. The transformation began the moment the blood touched my tongue.

My vision grew dark, and then nothing.

* * *

_Slash. Bite. Roar. Run. Guard after guard fell by dark claws. Screams. Gurgles. Freedom from the imprisoning walls. Running across open fields at speeds never dreamt of. Tackling prey. Running until… nothing._

* * *

AN: I liked this chapter! It's very rare for me to actually like a chapter that I wrote. Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review! I love when you guys review; it's just so much more fulfilling to get to read a review that someone leaves for me! (Not that I don't appreciate favorites!)


	15. Chapter 15

AN: I'm back again! I kind of feel bad for not updating regularly these past few weeks, and I'm in the mood to write again.

Thank you for the quick responses to my chapter! I put the chapter up really early in the morning (3 to be precise), and woke back up at ten. I had a couple new followers and favorites, and even two new reviews! That is mainly what motivated me to continue today!

Enough of my dribble, though, so onto the chapter!

* * *

_Where am I? What happened? _There was snow all around, and on top of, me. My body was wracked with shivers. _What the… my clothes are gone!_ I jumped up holding my hands over my breasts and looked around in a panic. _I have to figure out where I am. I'll freeze to death if I don't get out of the cold._

A small breeze began to blow my way. While shivering, I noticed a strange sensation. A smoky, yet familiar smell encased me. _What is that? Why is it such a familiar smell?_ I turned and headed towards the direction that the smell was originating from, determined to find the source.

As I hurtled through the underbrush, and closer to the smell, the scent became stronger and stronger. I burst through a final wall of brush before coming into a clearing. Across the small field, I could see Aela frantically searching for something. _Most likely me, I guess._

I got half way across the clearing before Aela's head whipped towards me. She immediately began sprinting across the field towards me, clothes in hand.

"After the change, you took off! I was scared we wouldn't find you," she exclaimed while handing me my Arch-Mage robes.

With a bit of embarrassment, I put on the robes in front of Aela. "Well, I would apologize, but I have no idea as to what I did. One minute I was in the Underforge, then the next I woke up here."

With a nervous laugh, Aela looked at me in the eyes. I could tell there was something wrong immediately. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

I watched her eyes swivel to the ground. "Well, after the transformation, you got loose. In Whiterun."

My eyes widened to the size of saucers. "I did what?! Tell me I didn't kill anyone!" I had gotten in Aela's face by then.

She continued to look down. "You didn't attack any of the townspeople, but not for lack of trying. They were smart and got inside of their homes and hid. The guards, though, were not so smart. You attacked multiple guards. When I had left in search of you, none of them were dead, but a few were holding on by a thread."

I felt as if there were a boulder in my stomach. Instead of replying, I leaned against a near by tree and slid down the trunk, not minding that my bottom was getting wet from the snow. _I attacked innocent people!_ First, I was sad. Then came anger.

I hopped up from my place on the ground and got back in Aela's face. "You should have stopped me! I trusted you and Skjor, and you repay me by setting me loose on Whiterun?" I knew that wasn't fair, but at the moment, I didn't care. "I can't believe you two let this happen!" I stomped away from Aela and let out a frustrated scream. My magicka was flaring, melting all of the snow around me. _I've got to calm down._

I turned back to Aela. "Let's just go." I began to walk and stopped. "You'll have to lead the way; I haven't a clue where I am."

Aela finally looked up at me. "Actually, before we go, there is a Silver Hand camp near here. We should take them out; Skjor's already gone ahead. This way."

Instead of replying, I just turned and began to follow the Huntress. _I can't believe they let me attack the guards! What if they find out that the werewolf was actually me? I'll never be able to show my face in Whiterun again!_

Before long, we had reached an abandoned fort with a few men on the highest walls. _I guess this is the place._ Aela went ahead to scout out the best course of action while I waited in the shadows.

After a few moments, she returned. "There are only two men out here now; I watched the other two go inside. We can both hit with arrows and have a quick and clean execution." I nodded my assent and followed Aela to the best vantage point she could find.

I conjured my bow and nocked an arrow. I held my breath to steady myself and felt everything fade away except for my target and I. I waited until I heard Aela's orders, and let loose when I did. Both of the targets fell to the ground gurgling, signaling that our shots were fatal.

I headed down into the courtyard of the fort and looked around. _Not much to see here._ I headed for the door when I heard Aela call my name. I turned around and looked at her expectantly. "This is stupid! Skjor and I tried our best to stop you! If we would've ran out right behind you, the guards would've have known that it was our fault!"

I butted in before she could speak again. "So this is about saving yours and Skjor's hide then?"

Aela looked as if she wanted to rip her hair out. "No! This was about keeping the Companions safe! As a matter of fact, Skjor physically held me from chasing you! He saw what would happen if we appeared as soon as a damn werewolf did! There are already those that suspect us; it would've been proof in their eyes!"

I stood gob smacked. "People suspect us? Besides witch hunters and the Silver Hand?"

Aela looked happy that she was finally getting through to me. "There are people in Whiterun that are wary of us because of the tales that they've heard. This is exactly why we couldn't help! We would just be fueling the gossip!"

I began to understand then. In a quiet voice, I apologized. Aela's smile lit up her whole face. "It's understandable; I would've felt betrayed and abandoned as well. I'm sorry for not trying harder to keep you from Whiterun. So are we okay now? I don't want to go into battle angry with a Shield-Sister and take the possibility that you could die with me angry at you."

I nodded my head. "We are okay." I looked up to the stars. _They look like grains of sand on a black satin sheet._ "I guess we should go inside? It's freezing out here!" Aela nodded and went inside. I took a deep breath and followed.

* * *

_I can't believe it. How could he be dead! _After we fought our way through the fort, we came upon the final room. A group of Silver Hand and their leader at this camp, Krev the Skinner, had holed up in here as a last resort. My anger at what I had done back in Whiterun fueled my magicka. I easily dispatched the Silver Hand, but had a bit of a run in with Krev.

As I killed his last man, I narrowly dodged his war hammer. I wasn't so lucky the second time; he cracked two ribs with one swing. I went down with a shriek before Aela tackled him to the ground with a dagger in his back.

After she killed Krev, Aela rolled me over with shaking hands. I had tears running down my face. _This is almost as bad as that dragon!_ "You're going to be fine! I just have to find some healing potions!" I felt bad, watching Aela panic.

I tried to reassure her that I would be fine, but all I could do was let out pitiful whimpers. Finally, Aela found the potion that she was looking for; I grimaced at the bitter taste. Immediately, though, I could feel the bones numbing. _That's going to take forever to heal, even with my magic!_

After we got myself taken care of, we looked for the piece of Ysgramor's Axe that Aela had been tipped off to. As I was looking in a large chest, Aela let out a heartbroken scream: Skjor's beaten and bruised body was behind the podium. I hobbled as quickly as I could to Aela; _she needs ME now! _

I caught her before she fell, and I grunted in pain as she put pressure on my still very broken ribs. I held her and shushed her crying for what seemed like forever. I didn't know what to say, so I just continued to do what I had been doing. I even let a few tears fall; I didn't really know the man that well, but it was still hard seeing him dead in front of us.

After a while, I decided I needed to cover the body, so I rose in search of a tarp or a cloak. I came back in a few minutes with a bed sheet. In a few seconds, I had the body covered, causing Aela to fight back a new round of tears. "Aela, we have to go get help. There is no way we can carry him back. I'm crippled at the moment, and you can't carry him all the way back to Whiterun. We'll hurry as fast as we can to the nearest city, get a cart, and have him brought back to Whiterun."

She nodded and rose. With a solemn look, she headed towards the door. "Aela, I'm really sorry; I can't even begin to know how you feel right now…"

The Huntress whipped around to look at me. "How would you feel if Vilkas was lying there instead of Skjor, huh? Well, imagine that, but worse! You aren't even with Vilkas, but I've been with Skjor for the better part of a decade! It feels like half of me has died!"

I knew she was angry, but I couldn't keep the tears from forming in my eyes. "I'm sorry! I was just trying to help!" I stormed past Aela out into the cold night and did my best to quell the coming tears. _So much for us making up!_ I whipped around to look at her. "I think it'll be best if you get the cart and bring Skjor back to Whiterun; I'll just go ahead to Whiterun and break the news to them. Bye."

With that, I began walking into the forest, hoping that I would see something familiar besides snow and pine trees.

* * *

I had been walking for a few hours when I finally spotted Ivarstead. _Oh thank you Talos! _I hobbled as quickly as my damaged ribs would allow me towards the inn. The old weathered wood of the inn had never looked as inviting as it did now. The small village of Ivarstead had always been a welcoming place, but I wasn't here to sight see.

I entered into the inn and bought a room for the night as quickly as possible. _What I would do to be in my bed back in Breezehome! _I let out a hiss as I lay down on the bed, hating the friction of my ribs scrubbing. Before falling asleep, I cast a healing spells a few times, in hopes of easing my pain. I fell into a restless slumber that night.

* * *

I woke in the middle of the night, unable to sleep because of the pain in my ribs. _I might as well go ahead and start traveling; it'll take all day to get to Whiterun at this pace._ I packed my things back in my worn leather bag, put my key on the counter up front, and headed into the cold night.

The road was silent, except for a light breeze rustling the trees' leaves. It seemed eerily quiet, so I decided that I would summon a Dremora Lord to walk with me. _At least I'll be protected._

I readied the spell and watched as the Daedra stepped out of the purple portal. He didn't look very happy to have been summoned and not needed. "You'll get over it; I need someone to walk with me, and I'm hurt, so I'm not in the position to fight if I have to."

The man-like creature let out an agitated growl and began to trudge along beside me. The steady clink of the Daedra's armor put me at ease; every time he would be pulled back to Oblivion, I would just summon him again. Before I knew it, I was passing through Riverwood. The sun had just come over the horizon, so I didn't have to worry about chatty villagers stopping me.

It took minutes to get through the village at my glacial rate of hobbling. Finally, I could see Dragonsreach proudly looking over the large plain that Whiterun sat in. It was a beautiful day; there were large billowy white clouds and bright blue skies. The breeze was warm and the grass in the huge field was swaying back and forth. I made my way down the road, and was hit with a flashback.

* * *

_When I arrived near Whiterun, I immediately saw a huge creature tearing up what looked to be a farm. I had never seen such a creature and, growing up on a farm made me realize how damaging this could be, decided I had to do something. When it saw me and started swinging its club towards me, I immediately charged up a lightning bolt. It stumbled backwards, and then became it enraged._

_The giant charged me, and I just managed to get out of its path. Missing me just made it angrier, which I could see in its eyes. I summoned a flaming familiar to occupy the beast. The giant had a pretty strong swing, which I learned after it backhanded me like I was a fly. I couldn't get close, so I let my familiar fight up close, while I sniped with a conjured bow. After a while of conjure a familiar, run away in terror, conjure a bow, and then repeat, the beast finally fell._

_Being naturally curious, I wanted to see the thing up close. I walked up to its body, when I heard footsteps. I turned around and was met with one of the biggest men I had ever seen. Next to him was a woman with intimidating war paint and flaming red hair. Neither of them looked more than five years older than me, at most. The woman began to speak._

_"Farkas and I just watched you take down that giant by yourself. We're impressed." The woman stood tall, and I could immediately tell that she was a strong woman._

_The man just grunted in agreement. My face flamed, and I stuttered out a thanks._

_That's when the woman said something that made my day. "My name is Aela, and this is Farkas. We are members of the Companions, up in Whiterun." At this my eyes became the size of saucers. _How embarrassing_!_

_"M-m-myy n-n-name is Isabelle." I stuttered out._

_Not noticing my socially awkward behavior, she said "And I think you would be a fine asset to our group." At this, I think my heart skipped a beat... or four._

_The man finally spoke, and in a gruff voice said "If you want to join you should head to Whiterun, then head to Jorvaskr. It's pretty hard to miss."_

_All I could do was shake my head in an affirmative. _I'd have to be sure to thank the Divines a lot tonight!_ After breaking out of my reverie, I noticed the woman, Aela, holding out a small bag of... coins?_

_"What is this?" I asked_

_"The payment for this job. We were sent to kill this giant by the owners of the farm. Since you killed it, you deserve the reward." she said in a matter-of-fact voice._

_I could only thank her, and watch as the two of them turned and began to walk back to Whiterun._

* * *

I smiled at the memory, and began the trek to Whiterun again. Finally, I reached the assent to the main gates. The guards looked at me worriedly. _Oh no. What if they've found out about my lycanthropy?_ My fears were put to rest, though, when a guard approached me. "Are you alright?"

I gave him a smile. "I'll be fine; I cracked my ribs, but the healer can fix it. I've made it this far; I can make it a bit further!"

With a nod, he opened the gate for me. I looked at the quaint town of Whiterun, and let a smile slip over my face. As I walked by Breezehome, it took everything I had to keep from running inside and sleeping for the next week. _I've got a job to do, and that doesn't involve sleeping._

Walking through the market was a bit of a task as it was at its busiest time of day. Every time I was jolted, I let out a pained hiss. Finally I reached the stairs that led to the Gildergreen, and Jorvaskr. My vision had become a little blurry by the time I reach the top of the stairs, and I stumbled a bit. _Maybe I'll just sit for a minute. _I took a seat on one of the benches surrounding the base of the Gildergreen to catch my breath.

After recovering, I stood back up to make the final stretch to Jorvaskr. After ten minutes of excruciating stair climbing, I finally made it. I took a breather, and then opened the door. _I really don't want to do this, but I guess I don't have a choice._

I walked in and saw Vilkas sitting at the large table in deep thought. I cleared my throat and watched as he took in my hunched over form. "Would you mind helping me down to Kodlak's quarters?"

Vilkas jumped up from his seat and had a worried look on his face. "What in Oblivion happened to you? I thought Aela was with you?"

At the mention of Aela, my face darkened. "I suspect that she is in Windhelm right now." Vilkas looked like he was going to ask more, but the look I gave him made him drop it.

He still looked worried though. "Will you at least tell me what happened to you?"

I nodded. "Krev the Skinner happened to me."

I felt Vilkas' frame go rigid. "What?! Why were you even near him? I'm surprised you made it out alive! What were you thinking?"

_I guess I can tell him a little bit. _"It was Aela and Skjor's idea. They found a Silver Hand camp, and wanted me to help them bring it down."

Before he could ask any more questions, I stopped him. "I'm glad to see you, but you really have to help me down to Kodlak's room. Now. I really have to speak with him."

Vilkas looked slightly offended, but helped me to Kodlak nonetheless. He turned to stalk away, and I felt bad for how I treated him a few moments ago. "Thank you," I called out after him. He threw up a hand waving me off, and I knew he was okay. _That was surprisingly easy. _

I knocked on the door, and went to the "guest seat" at Kodlak's table, as we had taken to calling it. The older man looked at me for a few moments and looked alarmed at my pained sigh as I sat. "What is it you need?"

I looked up at him with tears in my eyes. I filled him in on everything that had happened since my transformation. By the end, I had broken down into pitiful sobs. Kodlak walked around the table and hugged me. I cried into his shoulder and let the pain of the past two days out.

When I had finished, he spoke. "Don't worry anymore about it; I'll take care of the funeral when Aela returns with his body. Right now, though, I'm taking you to the Priestess so she can heal you."

I nodded and was led away by the man that had become my surrogate grandfather. The townspeople looked surprised and awed by the presence of Kodlak, as he didn't really roam in town very often. We made it to the temple in record time, where Danica took me to the same cot that I had been in after the dragon attack.

I listened to Kodlak speaking with her as long as I could before fading away.

* * *

AN: That's it for the chapter! Amazingly, I liked two chapters in a row! Wooo! Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review!


	16. Chapter 16

AN: I don't really have anything interesting at all to say… onto the update!

Disclaimer: I haven't said this in a while, so I might as well now for good measure. I do NOT own the Elder Scrolls Series of games; Bethesda does.

* * *

I woke to the sound of low murmurs and light footsteps. _I guess Danica is still up and about_. There wasn't even a faint glow of light from the window. I looked around the room I was laying in. The room must've been the size of a closet; it only had a bed and a dresser inside. _Did I sleep in here all day?_

Instead of calling out for anyone, I went ahead and swung my feet over the edge of the bed. I let out a pain-filled grunt. _Maybe I'm hurt a bit worse than I thought. _I fought through the pain, and rose. I immediately regretted my decision; _maybe I can just cast a healing spell?_

I focused solely on the thought of being pain-free, and happily watched the comforting glow of the Restoration magic fill the room. The unpleasant, but not painful, feeling of stitching bones filled my abdomen. After letting the spell take full effect, I left the room. I thanked Danica for her help, and told her goodbye, all the while ignoring her pleading for me to take it easy. _I don't have the time or patience to laze about. _

I stepped into the cold night air and took a breath. The brisk air immediately remedied the sleepy feeling that I had woken up with. The stars were shining brightly and the Gildergreen tree was dancing in the breeze; all was well in Whiterun.

I walked up the stairs to Jorvaskr much easier than last time, and headed into the welcoming warm mead hall. _I'm kind of hungry. Actually, I'm really hungry. Have I even eaten since I left Ivarstead?_ I sat at the large table in the main hall and began to eat everything that I could reach.

I was so absorbed in the delicious food that I hadn't noticed Viranus' arrival. "Hey! You're back!"

I began to choke on my food after jumping in my seat. _Great. A giant hasn't crushed him yet? _"Yeah, I uh, just got back a few hours ago."

The annoying Imperial took a seat beside me and began to eat as well. "We were wondering where you headed off to during your party. Since Skjor and Aela had gone too, we figured you were with them. What did you guys go do?"

I felt a smile tugging at my lips. "We killed an entire Silver Hand camp in Eastmarch." I felt my skin start to prickle when I saw Viranus go rigid. "What's wrong?"

I watched as he went back to normal in the blink of an eye. _Did I even see him do that, or am I just paranoid? _"What are you talking about? Nothing's wrong. Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

I rose from the table as gracefully as I could with my busted-up ribs. "Actually, I think I do need to rest. First, I need to talk to Farkas. I'll be at Breezehome if anyone needs me." With that, I turned and went down the stairs in the corner of the hall.

I was looking for one of the twins, but not Farkas. _I need to talk with Vilkas._ I headed to his bedroom, only to find the room empty. I began to look around the room for the first time, surprise filling me. There were many books spread across the room, and even a few potion ingredients. _I guess someone has to make the potions. _

Deciding I had been nosey enough, I took a spare sheet of parchment and wrote a note on it.

_Vilkas,_

_I really need to speak with you. When you get this, head to Breezehome. It's really important._

_Isabelle_

Satisfied with my note, I laid it on his pillow and headed for Breezehome. _Hurry up Vilkas!_

* * *

_Creak._ My eyes shot open at the sound of a creaking floorboard. I didn't even think about what I was doing, I just acted. I lurched as silently from my bed as possible and cast an invisibility spell moments before my bedroom door swung open.

I watched in horror as two large men came into my bedroom. One man was dressed in a full set of steel armor and held a large battle-axe, and the other was an Orc dressed in full Orcish armor with an Orcish warhammer.

The steel armor man approached my bed and felt the sheets. "They're still warm."

The Orc spoke to the other man. "Dammit! The bitch must've heard us. I bet she's still in here. Come out, come out!"

Both men began to ransack my bedroom. My bed was the first to be flipped. After destroying my bedroom, they headed to the next bedroom. Quietly as I could, I put on my Arch-Mage robes that fell out of my dresser and moved to follow the intruders. Just as I reached my door, I heard my front door open and Vilkas call out for me. _Oh no._

I watched as the two mercenaries barreled down the stairs and listened to Vilkas' cursing. "What in Oblivion?! Where's Isabelle? You milk-drinkers are going to regret coming here!"

Before the fight could get out of hand, I cast a paralyze spell on each mercenary. My invisibility spell dissipated, causing the men to see me. I heard the angry grunts of the bandits as they saw me.

I looked at Vilkas' relieved face and decided I owed him an apology. "I heard them coming up my stairs and cast an invisibility spell before they could get to me."

Vilkas looked even more confused. "Who are they? Do you know them?"

I shook my head. "Actually, they're probably part of the reason I asked you to come here tonight." At that, I bent down and stuck my hand in the steel-armored Nord. I noticed a lecherous grin on his face; my robes weren't done-up tightly and he was looking straight down my robes. Before I could slap him, Vilkas kicked the man roughly in his side. I just sent another paralyzing spell towards the Nord and the Orc on the floor again.

After a while of fishing, I found a note in the Nord's pocket that read:

_I don't care how you do it; just make sure that the Breton named Isabelle is dead by sunrise. She lives in her home in Whiterun called Breezehome. The door may or may not be locked; the girl has too much confidence that we may be able to use to our advantage. _

_Whatever you do, make sure she is restrained. If left unattended, she will light you on fire in the blink of an eye. She isn't to be taken lightly; send your best men for the job._

_The girl has become too much of a threat. She must be dealt with._

_~V_

With an angry sigh, I crumpled the note in my hand. "This does have to do with why I called you here. Vilkas, I think Viranus is more than he lets on."

I handed the letter to Vilkas, and watched as his face crumpled with rage. "I'll kill the rat! No one sends an assassin against any of my shield-brothers or sisters!"

Before Vilkas went and did something stupid, I stopped him. "Vilkas, it's just a hunch; it may not be him! There are plenty of people that have names that start with the letter V. Your name, for example! We have to be sure before we go slinging accusations."

It was times like these when I was glad that Vilkas was the more levelheaded of the twins. "You're right. First things first, though; we have to call the guards to take these idiots away."

I nodded my head and watched as he headed to find some guards. I turned back around, only to be met with an armored fist. _Shit, that hurt! _Luckily, I dodged the next fist and countered with a fireball. I cast another paralyze spell at the Orc that was still on the ground, and went to cast another at the Nord. Moments before the spell hit him, the Nord hurled a steel dagger at me, which impaled my shoulder. The blade went all the way through my back. I let out a scream and hit the floor at the same time as the paralyzed Nord.

Vilkas came bursting through the door when I screamed, and looked like he was about to murder the Nord on the floor. It took three guards to hold back Vilkas' enraged form. He calmed down enough for the guards, and came immediately to my side. "We've got to pull it out."

I looked up at him with tears in my eyes and nodded my head. The moment Vilkas touched the hilt of the dagger, I let out a ragged sob. _Why is it hurting so much?! _"Vilkas, something's wrong! It's burning really badly! I think it may have been poisoned! Ouch, Shit!"

I watched Vilkas' face turn from cool and collected, to panicked. "It still has to come out! Here bite down on this," he said while handing me a book from my shelf. I nodded and screamed when he grabbed the hilt again. This time, he didn't stop. The pain was so unbearable that I began to gag. Finally, the pain was replaced with a numb feeling, and everything around me began to grow dark.

* * *

I woke up in my bed upstairs, wondering if I had dreamed the entire thing up. The thought was crushed, though, when I felt the bandages on my bare shoulder. I looked to the side of my bed to see Vilkas asleep in a chair that he dragged from the corner of my bedroom. _Well, this is familiar. Just like when I woke up from the dragon attack._

Instead of waking him up this time, I just looked at him. Vilkas had a very nice jaw line; well defined and strong. A little bit of stubble had begun growing on his face; _I wonder how long I've been out?_ I moved down to his armor-clad abdomen. _That armor would look so much better on the flo—what in Oblivion? Where did that thought come from? Well, I guess he's pretty attractive; it's normal to have thoughts like that. Isn't it?_

Before I could work myself up, I decided to just try to sleep again. After twenty minutes of staring at the roof, I decided to give up on sleep all together. My mind drifted back to Vilkas. _He seemed so worried when he thought that those men had done something to me. And when that pervert was looking down my robes. Especially then. Maybe he does care about me, or maybe he sees me like a little sister. Oh Talos, I hope not. _

My mind kept turning well into the wee hours of the morning before I finally went to sleep.

* * *

AN: This chapter sucks. I knew three in a row that I actually liked was too much to ask for. I haven't really felt motivated to write a chapter, but I knew that I couldn't leave y'all hanging!

I don't care if I get to the point where I have little to no motivation to write this, I WILL finish this story!


	17. Chapter 17

AN: I suck at this regular updating thing, don't I? I just read a really good update to one of my favorite WIPs about Ulfric Stormcloak and an OC Dragonborn. I was inspired to add another chapter.

I feel like this story has been pretty stagnant lately, so I hope to rectify that in this installation of the best fanfiction evar! *sarcasm off*

Also, I've just recently discovered Imogen Heap, who is awesome. I got the title of this chapter from one of her songs. Obviously, it's called Hide and Seek. Definitely give it a listen, or maybe try Lifeline, or You Know Where to Find Me! (The song and the chapter don't really have much in common though!)

Anyways, back to the update; onto the chapter!

****WARNING THE F-BOMB WAS USED HERE TWICE (I THINK)****

* * *

Weeks had passed since the accident. Vilkas and I agreed that we needed solid evidence against Viranus before accusing him of trying to have me assassinated. We've been keeping a close eye on Viranus, and have been following him on his missions. We haven't seen anything shady yet, but we also had our own lives to attend to.

I was resting at the new table in the entrance hall, and thinking of ways to better track Viranus' actions. _Maybe we could hire someone to follow him for us? _Not only did we not have time to follow Viranus around, but also we had begun to tire of the ceaseless following. Our weariness had also begun to show; Vilkas has had more angry outbursts than usual, and even I had accidentally set the table in the entry hall on fire. Twice. _I can't afford to lose control over my magicka _I thought with a cringe, remembering the charred pile of wood that I made out of the table.

Deciding that I should go run my idea of hiring somebody by Vilkas, I rose from my seat and headed out back to the training grounds. Vilkas had taken up beating the practice dummies to a pulp recently, so I decided to look for him there first. I wasn't disappointed.

The winter had finally given way to the warm spring days, which explained why Vilkas was wearing nothing but his armored greaves and boots. My face immediately flushed. _At least I can say that it's because of the heat!_ I headed over to Vilkas and noticed the sheen of sweat coating the taught muscles of his back. My thoughts have been filled with… lewd thoughts ever since the night of the attack in Breezehome. _Maybe it's the wolf blood causing me to act like a silly teenager?_

Deciding to end that train of thought, I addressed Vilkas. "We can't keep this up for much longer."

Vilkas stopped slashing the dummy with his greatsword, and turned his head towards me. There were dark shadows under his eyes. With a tired growl he replied with a curt "I'm fine", and turned back to the defenseless dummy.

_Why does he have to be so stubborn?_ "Well, I'm not. Vilkas we **cannot** keep this up. We need help. I've already thought about it, and we can hire someone to follow him around. I've set the table on fire twice. You don't have to worry about accidentally setting someone or something on fire when you're sleep deprived; I do. There are plenty of people that owe me favors too; I'm sure someone would be up to the challenge."

Vilkas let out a frustrated sigh, and threw his great sword to the ground. He turned to face me with a dark stare. "No one else will be as diligent as either of us. I don't trust anyone else to do something this important for me."

_I've had enough of this!_ I exploded. "Vilkas! I'm the one being hunted down! I understand completely, but if I'm okay with letting someone else do this, then you should be too! I'm the one with the metaphorical mark on her head!"

Vilkas looked surprised at my outburst, as did I. _Maybe it was the beast blood again, making me act so differently? I didn't think that it would alter my personality though… I need to ask Kodlak some questions about the lycanthropy._

While being so absorbed by my musings, I didn't take notice of Vilkas' growing anger until it was too late. "Why do you do that?! You speak as if your life doesn't mean a thing! First with the dragon, then after that you ran off and fought Krev _the fucking_ Skinner! Now this? I don't even know what to say to you!"

The echo of his rant rang loudly in my ears. _How dare he! _"What does it matter to you, anyways?! Better be careful, or people will start to think that you pulled your head out of your ass for long enough to care about someone! It's _my _life! I'll do whatever in Oblivion I want to with it!" At that, I turned heel and ran. I didn't know where I was running to, but I knew I had to get away from _him_.

I could hear Vilkas yelling my name as he chased me with loud pounding footsteps. Thankfully, Whiterun was bustling at the moment, allowing me to easily blend into the crowd. Not until I reached Breezehome did I realize that I had tears running down my face. _What in Oblivion is wrong with me?! I've never been this emotional in my life!_

I walked inside of the inviting house and headed straight for my bedroom. _I've got to leave for a few days so we can both calm down._ I grabbed my trusty leather bag from the chair in the corner of my room and began to pack a few health potions, and some food. I changed into my Arch-Mage's robes as quickly as I could, and put on as much of my enchanted jewelry as I could.

I had gone downstairs, and had reached the door before deciding to leave a note in case anyone needed to find me. I took a piece of parchment from a shelf and scrawled down a note telling where I was and when I would be back.

After putting the note in an easy to notice place, I opened my door and took off for Winterhold. In my emotional state, though, I didn't notice the eyes watching me from the shadows.

* * *

It had been a few hours since my fight with Isabelle, and I had begun to worry. _Where is she?_ I've been asking around town if anyone had seen her. Only one person had seen her, and he told me that she had left Whiterun in tears, and in a rush. _She knows better than to just run off like that. I can't believe she was so fiery today; that wasn't the Isabelle I remember._

I headed back to Jorvaskr as the sun began to set. _I'll get something to eat, and then I'll head out to look for her. _As I reached the top of the stairs leading to Jorvaskr, I heard someone calling my name. I turned my head hoping to see Isabelle at the bottom of the stairs, only to see Aela.

She had a grim look on her face, and I immediately became worried. "What is it?"

I watched her gulp, and open her mouth. Instead of speaking, she just shut her mouth and dragged me to the Underforge. _Whatever she has to say must be bad._ "Aela, what is it? Why did you bring me here?"

I watched Aela take a deep breath and then look me dead in the eyes. "Before Skjor died, he and I passed the lycanthropy to Isabelle. I heard her fighting with you today, and I knew you would want answers. I decided to come clean with you to save you the trouble of asking me."

My mind went blank. _A werewolf? Innocent Isabelle, a werewolf? _In a deadly calm voice, I asked the only question on my mind. "Why?"

At the sound of my cold question, I saw Aela flinch. The numbness had been replaced by sheer anger. "Well?! When were you going to tell me this! How long has she been one?!"

Aela shrunk away from my yelling. "Stop yelling!" After I calmed down enough for her liking, she continued "She wanted it! We didn't force her to take it! We did it the night of her initiation party!"

I leaned against the wall, and pulled my hair in frustration. "Aela, did either of you even tell her about the inability to sleep well? Did either of you tell her that it would make her volatile? DID EITHER OF YOU TELL HER THAT SHE WOULD BE HIRCINE'S PLAYTHING?!"

Aela flinched at each of my question, and tears welled in her eyes at the last one. I let out a dark laugh. "You didn't. You fucking didn't tell her anything! Talos only knows where she ran off to, all because of her raging emotions from the beast blood! You're going to help me find her! Right now!" Aela just hung her head and followed me back out into the now dark training grounds.

I felt the beast inside of me roaring, begging to be set free. I gritted my teeth and did my best to ignore the urge to change, and headed for Breezehome. _If she wants us to find her, she'll have left a note or something._

I headed up to the simple house and entered. Aela went upstairs to check Isabelle's bedroom. I looked around the sparsely prepared kitchen area and found a note hastily written with Isabelle's neat handwriting.

_To whoever finds this note,_

_I've headed to Winterhold to attend to my duties as Arch-Mage. I will be back soon; I just need to clear my head._

_Isabelle_

I balled up the note. _I made her run across the country, just to get away from me?_ Before I could allow myself to wallow in self-pity, Aela's voice interrupted me. "Vilkas, most of her valuables are gone! Did you find anything?" When she was done speaking she had arrived back on the ground floor.

I just handed her the note, and watched as her eyes turned to slits. She turned her glare at me. "Well, it sounds like you're going to Winterhold. You're going to fix whatever happened between you two!"

My eyes widened, but before I could argue, Aela interrupted me. "Don't argue! Fix this! Now!"

Grumbling, I turned and headed for the door. I heard Aela let out a growl. "Where do you think you're going?!"

I turned back to her with a glare. "To get my things together, since I'm going to Winterhold."

Her face flushed and she looked a bit embarrassed. "Oh. Well, get to it!"

I groaned as I exited Breezehome. On the way up to Jorvaskr, I looked up at the stars. _Isabelle, be safe._

* * *

The sun was rising over the ice fields just as the dinky town of Winterhold came into sight. I had been traveling all night, and wanted nothing more than to buy a nice and warm room at the little inn in town. With that thought, I plowed ahead.

Twenty freezing minutes later, I reached the settlement. Unsurprisingly, there were not people in the streets, so I decided to go ahead to the College, as no one would be able to sell me a room at the inn if they weren't awake yet.

I walked up the steps, and was stopped by an Altmer woman. "State your business."

_I guess she doesn't recognize me_. "Faralda, it's me, Vilkas. I need to speak with Isabelle. It's urgent."

Faralda's face lit up. "Oh! Vilkas, I didn't recognize you! You look so tired, would you like to stay here for the night—wait you said you need to see Isabelle?" The elf had a confused look on her face. "She isn't here. In fact, she hasn't been her for a while. Last we heard, she was still with the Companions in Whiterun."

My stomach felt like it dropped to my feet. My face must have paled, because Faralda became immediately worried. "Vilkas? What's wrong?"

Instead of replying, I pulled the crumpled note out of my pocket and handed it to her. When she finished reading, all she said was "Oh dear" and led me across the broken bridge to the College.

Wondering where she was taking me, I spoke up. "Well, we have work to do. She left significantly earlier than you. She would've arrived hours ago, but she didn't. We have to find her."

Relief flooded me. "You'll help?"

She stopped and turned to me. "Isabelle is our Arch-Mage, but more importantly, Isabelle is family. Of course we'll help."

Faralda then began to lead me across the rest of the dilapidated bridge again. While following behind the elf, I began to do something that I hadn't done for a long time: pray. _Talos, please. Please keep her safe; please don't let anything happen to her._

* * *

AN: Wow! Something is actually happening! Thank you guys for reading, and thank you for the 6, 511 views! That's just… I don't even know! *explodes*


	18. Chapter 18

AN: I'm. So. Sorry. For. Not. Updating. This. In. Almost. A. Month. Really. I've been so busy with graduation and all of the other things that go with it, writing my Valedictorian address, and multiple prayers, that it just… slipped my mind! Luckily, I'm done with school until this coming fall, so I should be back to updating regularly again!

* * *

I woke up to the sound of jingling chains and the worst pain I'd ever been in. I let out a pained wheeze trying to figure out where I was and what had happened to me. My wrists were shackled to the wall behind me; _that explains the pain in my wrists_. The rest of the room I was in was bare, save a table pushed against the wall beside me. What was on the table made my stomach drop.

There had to be at least twenty glinting knives and embalming tools lying on the table. _I've got to get out of here. _Trying to keep calm, I decided my best chance would be to melt the chains around my wrists with a fire spell, and get out stealthily. _I can't fight with these wounds_. My hope turned to horror when nothing happened as I tried to summon my magicka. Now I was beginning to panic. Spell after spell failed to work.

When the spells didn't work, it hit me; I was really in deep now. I let a single tear roll down my cheek before stopping myself. _I __**WILL NOT**__ give my captors the satisfaction of seeing my weakness!_

I could hear footsteps nearing the door to my holding cell; I began to pray. _Please! Someone save me!_

* * *

I had sent for a courier to deliver the bad news to Jorvaskr while I stayed in Winterhold with the mages. They told me that they might have a way of finding Isabelle, but weren't positive that it would work. We would be leaving to a Dwarven ruin called Mzulft; apparently there is an observatory that finds "powerful magical artifacts." _That day that I met Isabelle on the road and she dragged me to Winterhold… She must have just left this place_. Hopefully Isabelle or her robes will be powerful enough to show up on the map.

Five of the best college mages would be accompanying me: Colette, Faralda, and Tolfdir, Drevis, and Phinis. Between the five mages, every school of magic would be covered; maybe it would be enough to get us through the ruins. There have been tales of the mechanical guardians and the twisted Falmer that roam the ruins.

I decided that my greatsword would need sharpening before the venture into the ruins, and headed to the guard barracks in town. The Companions and the guards across Skyrim have an agreement of sorts, allowing us to use their grindstones when we need. As I sat at the grindstone, all I could think of was Isabelle. _What if she's hurt? I don't know where to begin looking; if the Silver Hand has her, we don't have much time to find her. _

I had been so lost in my thoughts that I hadn't heard the footsteps approaching me until they were right behind me. "Vilkas, we're ready to go whenever you are."

I was surprised at how unobservant I was, to have Tolfdir sneak up on me. I didn't show my surprise and responded to the old man after standing and collecting my things. "I'm ready," I said, as I walked towards the exit. The other four mages were waiting in front of the barracks as I exited. The look on Colette's face summed up our feelings on this venture. _This is going to go miserably; I can feel it._

Just as expected, it went miserably. The ruins were mostly empty until we got about halfway through; then the mechanical guardians showed up. A steam-powered behemoth that had to be at least fifteen feet tall almost killed us; Drevis quit poking things after that. We finally managed to reach the orrery with minor injuries; thankfully the Falmer never showed.

The observatory was impressive; I'll give it that. Thankfully, Isabelle had explained how to use the machine to Tolfdir before she came back home to Whiterun; apparently she wanted it investigated. It took a matter of minutes before Tolfdir had the machine up and running. The large crystal in the center of the room projected a map of Skyrim onto the wall below the control panel.

A little south of Dawnstar, a bright pinprick of light shone like a star. The location was very near a known Silver Hand hideout, Fort Fellhammer. _We've got you now, bastards. You'll wish you had never fucked with the Companions. _

Against my will, the mages voted to go to Whiterun first. They wanted to get the extra help from the rest of the Companions, and they wanted to stock up on potions. I knew that the mages were right, but I just wanted to get to Isabelle. She had already been missing for two days now; Talos knows what the Silver Hand had done to her by now. Just the thought of someone hurting Isabelle made the beast inside of me want to be set free.

The mages voted to stay the night in Whiterun and leave very early in the morning to attack the fort. Knowing that there was no use in arguing with them, I just agreed.

* * *

All of the Companions had come to at least like Isabelle. After telling them of Viranus' betrayal, and Isabelle's kidnapping, the entirety of Jorvaskr, minus Eorlund, Kodlak, and Tilma, were going to Fort Fellhammer. By the time we had left the gates, it looked as if we had recruited a small army. _There goes any element of surprise we may have had. _

The march to the fort was mostly uneventful; we decimated a small bandit group in the plains to the west of Whiterun. The rest of the trip was full of chattering between the warriors and the mages, except for Faralda. Faralda had decided to walk with me ahead of the group.

The elf finally spoke after a long silence. "So, what is going on between you and Isabelle?"

My face burned. "I don't know what you're talking about." I kept walking forward and didn't spare a glance towards the elf.

I heard her let out a rough laugh. "Well, you seem to care a great deal about her. I know she must at least be a very good _friend_."

I snorted. _She thinks she can manipulate me._ "She is a very good friend," I said simply.

Faralda let out a tiny snort. "You're going to make this difficult, aren't you? This generally works better if you just come out and answer me, instead of you making me make you answer me."

I just wore a small smirk on my face and ignored her. That is, until I felt a small shock. A yelp came out of my mouth at the pain, causing Faralda to laugh loudly. "What in Talos' name is wrong with you?" I yelled at the elf.

She wore the smirk this time. "Like I said, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. I will have a definite answer by the time we reach this fort."

Deciding that I didn't want to be shocked the whole way to the fort, I spoke. "What do you want to know?"

I heard her huff. "I already asked. What is going on between you two?"

My face burned. I honestly didn't know at all what Isabelle thought of me. Sometimes she seemed to care a great deal about me, and then others she seemed to hate me. I told Faralda just as much and listened as she laughed.

Before I could say anything she cut me off. "I'm sorry, carry on. It's cute how oblivious you are."

That shut me up. _Oblivious?_ "What are you talking about?"

Faralda gave me an unbelieving look. "Wow. She said you were the smart one, too. She likes you, maybe even loves you. She told me so during her stay at the College."

I was shocked. I didn't know how to respond and just stared at Faralda, mouth agape.

Faralda let out another laugh. "I was going to try and coax a confession out of you, but that seemed like more trouble than it was worth, so I decided to just come out and say it. Someone has to get the ball rolling around here!"

I finally got over my shock and spoke. "Why hasn't she said anything?"

Faralda shrugged. "Maybe it wasn't ever the right time? Maybe she was scared you would reject her? There could have been a number of things keeping her from telling you how she felt."

Before I could stop myself, a grin began to form on my face. Instead of the usual scowl or smirk, this smile was full of happiness and nothing else. I stopped and grabbed Faralda into a bear hug. "Thank you!"

Faralda was looking at me like I was crazy, but I just kept on grinning even after I let her go. _The woman I love likes me!_

* * *

Upon my arrival at this horrible place, I figured that I had been kidnapped for a reason. Maybe it would have something to do with my duties as Arch-Mage? I was surprised though, when Viranus walked through the door. In simple terms he told me why I was here.

At first, he had just been sent to the Companions to infiltrate the warrior group and take it down from the inside out. Then I came and messed up his plan. By the time that Viranus had explained that he loved me, I knew that he was messed up in the head.

I figured he would be mostly harmless, until he backhanded me. Then I realized I was at the mercy of a psychopath, and there was nothing I could do about it. It had been about three days since he had begun his torture.

I had been sliced until I couldn't scream any more. The wounds littered my entire body; from ankle to wrist, I was covered in cuts and gashes. When Viranus grew tired of his knives, he would just use me as a punching bag. I could tell that he had already broken two of my ribs; I can only pray that he hasn't caused any internal bleeding.

The physical attacks I could handle. Viranus' verbal attacks were an infinite amount worse than his physical assaults. Today's "attacks" were the worst so far. They had left me feeling dirty and used, as I had stooped to Viranus' levels.

* * *

_Viranus swaggered into my dank holding cell with a crazed look in his eyes. I knew I was in trouble. "Hello, my love. I was thinking… Wouldn't you love to see those parents of yours again? I could just have some of my men go and "pick" them up tonight? Wouldn't that be fun?"_

_I began to panic. "You leave them out of this. They've done nothing to you. I'm the one you want; not them!"_

_Viranus had a cruel smirk on his face. "Well damn. I figured you would want to see them. Too bad I can't call back my men. Woops."_

_My face paled. "You bastard! Don't touch them! I'll kill you! The Companions won't let you have them! When they find me here with you… you'll wish you were dead. Vilkas will come for me, and he will kill you!"_

_I had taken control, and Viranus knew it. "You stupid bitch! Don't talk about that miserable Nord in my presence again!" The sound of Viranus hand slapping my face resounded in the small room._

_Instead of whimpering or cowering, I let out a dark laugh. "You can try all you want, but the sad truth is that you'll never be half the man that Vilkas is. You'll never be as fast, or smart. Best of all, you'll never have me. Vilkas does, not you."_

_By this point Viranus was too angry to retort, and instead, began to beat me until I blacked out._

* * *

I couldn't tell how many Silver Hand were inside of the fort. All I ever saw was Viranus and the same man that brought me stale bread and dirty water once a day. The man also gives me an injection daily, which I guess is what is inhibiting my magicka. Regardless of how much I thrash around to escape the needle, I still wind up taking it.

I've come to realize that the only way I'll be leaving here is if someone breaks me out. Viranus has made sure that I can't escape. All I can do is pray to Talos to send someone to save me.

* * *

AN: Well, that was pretty bad. That was also pretty boring. I'm out of my groove; hopefully I'll get back to par on my writing soon enough!

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review!


	19. Chapter 19

AN: Well, updating regularly and often didn't happen right… Sorry! I haven't been playing Skyrim very much (or at all) recently, so I kind of felt a bit removed from this story. I haven't gotten a review lately on this either, but I did get one from **Mia** (not an account, but a guest), which got me wanting to continue with this.

I realize that I kind of left it on a cliffhanger, and I'm sorry about that! There aren't going to be many more chapters of this left; I don't want to draw it out. I've seen some authors ruin great stories by drawing them out too much. I don't want to ruin something that a fair amount of people seem to like, so I'm going to wrap it up pretty soon!

Sorry for the long AN (I seem to be apologizing a lot recently!)!

Onto the chapter!

* * *

It was midday by the time we reached our destination. We set up a small camp in the forest surrounding Fort Fellhammer, and then began discussing our plan of action from this moment on.

It was decided that the mages would go in first with conjurations to thin out the weakest of the Silver Hand; the a group of the Companions would charge after the mages and take what hadn't been killed by the spells and summoned Daedra. Collette would be staying behind at the camp to tend to the wounded.

Aela and a few other Companions would stay back and use bows to take out Silver Hand from afar. Faralda and I… well, naturally, we would go straight into the fort and find Isabelle. _Hopefully the bastard will be with her so I can tear him limb from limb._

The midday sun made the snow glow brightly; every eye was squinting to avoid the harsh reflections. As our ragtag group neared the fort, I could see the mages summoning their Daedra, and then making themselves invisible. At the directions of their masters, the Daedra charged the fort. As the fort was flooded with Oblivions' demons, we could hear screams of surprise and pain.

Shortly after, the mages themselves headed towards the fort; they reminded me of Isabelle's slow but sure ways. They were the complete opposites of the Companions; instead of blindly rushing the enemy, they slowly made their way around the fort. Suddenly the air was filled with the crackle of magicka. The Silver Hand bandits were dropping like flies.

When it seemed the mages had thinned out the herd, the Companions charged. Faralda stayed near to me; when everyone else stopped and joined the fight, we kept running past them and headed straight to the entrance. It was eerily silent inside of the halls; most of the bandits were outside in the fight. Every now and then we would have to dispatch a bandit or two, but mostly the halls were empty.

Finally, we reached the deepest part of the crumbling fort. We began to hear screaming; Isabelle's screaming. Before I could grab the handle to the door, Faralda stopped me. "Vilkas, whatever we find behind this door… Don't do something stupid."

I stared at her surprised. _Does she know of my curse?_ "I don't know what you're talking about."

Faralda gave me a withering glare. _She knows._ "Don't try to make me laugh; I know about your… condition. Most likely every mage you come into contact with does. We can sense the aura of the beast inside of you."

I stared at her, surprisingly _unsurprised_. "Fine."

She nodded at me. I turned back to the simple wooden door standing between Isabelle and I. _Viranus better hope he is long gone from here. _I pushed the door open and felt myself loosing control over the beast quickly.

* * *

I could hear the clanking of swords above. _They've come for me! Vilkas!_ I was so enraptured with the sounds of fighting, I didn't notice Viranus come into the room.

When he spoke, I violently flinched. "It seems the wolves and the tricksters have come for you. How sweet. Too bad they won't get to you before you die. If you can't love me, then you can't live. Vilkas will be so hurt when he finds you, still warm, but oh so dead."

I could feel my heart thumping painfully. _He's never threatened to kill me before! Hurry up Vilkas!_ I began to shake as I watched Viranus step over to the table full of knives. I felt my heart skip a beat as I saw him pick up a butcher's cleaver from the table. My shaking was causing the chains to rattle above me.

The man looked up from his table with a wolfish grin and murderous eyes. "Are you afraid to die, Isabelle? I would like to say that it will be painless; I don't want to lie to you." As he finished, he took the first slash at me. I was shocked at the force he put behind the cut; _Viranus never has aimed to kill me. I've got to get out of here!_

I could feel blood running down my arms and legs. I held in my whimpers. _He's toying with me at the moment; if I can manage to keep him from finishing, maybe it will give Vilkas time to get here! _I just held in my tears as he slashed and cut. I could tell he was getting more and more fed up with me by the minute.

Finally, he stopped. Viranus was breathing hard; he was beyond angry. The crazed man got right in my face and began to scream. "WHY ARE YOU NOT SCREAMING?! SCREAM!" I just ignored the spittle on my face, but did scream when he made an extra deep cut into my abdomen. "THAT'S MORE LIKE IT! AGAIN!" The cutting began to increase in depth and frequency; I could feel myself fading to black. _No! Talos no! Please!_

The last thing I remember seeing was the door slamming against the wall, and a deep growl.

* * *

All of Vilkas' control over the beast was lost. At the sight of Isabelle's mangled body, he lost it. I heard a deep growl next to me, and immediately got away from him. I watched who I assume to be Viranus, get slammed into the wall and mauled; I had to look away. I was a mage, not a warrior. I could tell that the man was long dead, but Vilkas wasn't stopping his attacks. _I have to stop him._

With little difficulty, I cast a powerful paralyze spell on the werewolf and watched as he tumbled over, stiff as a statue. When I made sure he wouldn't be getting up soon, I began to look for the keys to Isabelle's shackles. _She doesn't look too good. We need to make sure she doesn't get any infection._

When a glance around the room for the keys proved useless, I decided to take matters into my own hands; I melted the locks. Isabelle's too thin body tumbled into me. I cringed at the feeling of Isabelle's blood all over me.

I dragged her to the table near me and immediately felt disgusted. It was littered in knives and embalming tools, all coated in fresh blood. I swiped the table clear of sharp objects and laid Isabelle on the table to get a better look at her injuries. I couldn't stop the tears as I saw what that man had done to her.

Bruises littered her body from head to toe interspersed with gouges from the utensils I just sent flying to the ground. There were fresh cuts on her that had to have happened moments before we arrived. These cuts worried me at the depth of them. _She needs Collette. Now. I can only do so much._

I began to use the strongest healing spell I knew on her, and began to worry when the cuts weren't sealing as well as I would like. _That man deserved everything he got for doing this!_

I heard groaning coming from the floor and whipped around only to meet a naked Vilkas lying on the floor and stretching his stiff arms. I turned back around with a light blush on my face and told him to cover himself up. I heard him shuffle out of the room and return moments later. He had found some simple farm clothes somewhere.

I heard him take in a shuddering breath when he saw Isabelle's beaten form. "Is… Will… How bad is it?"

I grimaced. I had noticed at least three broken ribs, and possible internal bleeding near her spleen. "We have to get her to Collette. Immediately."

Without a word, Vilkas had her in his arms and was running down hallways. I ran past him to clear the way. I could feel the lightning itching to leave my hands. A poor soul met us coming around the corner; I wasted no time in pumping him full of electricity. _That felt good._

We reached the courtyard shortly, where the fight was dwindling. I cast a large ward around Vilkas and myself as we ran out of the battle and back to the camp. Collette dropped everything and took Isabelle from Vilkas when she saw what state she was in. I relayed my worries to her, and then lead Vilkas out of the tent.

* * *

_Where am I? Why do I feel so… detached from everything? Where is the pain? I commanded my body to open my eyes, but nothing happened. Am I dead? No! I can't be dead! I have so many things to take care of! The College needs its Arch-Mage! I still haven't mastered the top tier of destruction spells; I can't die before I master them! I never told him… Vilkas! Oh Talos! I can't leave him! _

_Fine then! I'll find my way back on my own! Why won't my damn eyes open! Please! Let me go back!_

_I heard a gravely voice that seemed so far away speak. "Isabelle. Come back to me." _

_My head whipped up at the voice. Vilkas? I began to scream out in my head. "I'm here! I didn't leave you! Help me!"_

_My resolve strengthened. I'm going to open my eyes, right now! The darkness began to recede. Freedom!_

* * *

I heard her thrashing and ran inside of the tent. Isabelle was whimpering and had tears pouring down her face, but her eyes were clamped shut. I kneeled down beside her on the ground. Collette had managed to heal most of the wounds, including all of the major wounds.

I didn't know what to do, so I just began to call out to her. "Isabelle! Come back to me. Please!"

Her thrashing increased, and then suddenly stop. I felt sick. _Is she…_ My morbid thoughts were struck down, when I saw her eyelids flutter open. Isabelle's blue eyes looked back at me with tears in them. "Isabelle."

My own eyes began to water, and I let out a laugh. _She's alive. Isabelle is alive! _Before I thought about what I was doing, I had her in my arms. I felt arms wrap around me as I held her tightly. "Don't you ever do that again! Dammit, I thought you weren't going to make it!"

I heard her let out a tiny chuckle before I felt her tears on my neck. _Is she hurting? _"Do I need to get Collette?"

Instead of answering me, Isabelle leaned back and began to stare at me. I looked down, not wanting her to see my tears. The woman put a hand on the side of my face and turned my head back up. Before I could say a word, Isabelle kissed me.

My mind went fuzzy. _Isabelle's kissing me. _The emotional day had taken its toll on both of us; we had both began to cry again. I held her close to me and stroked her hair until I could feel her breathing calm down again, signaling her sleep. _Words didn't need to be spoken; we both understand what the other feels._ I closed my eyes and fell asleep holding the woman who had stolen my heart.

* * *

The return trip to Whiterun was quick. Everyone had been talking to me and making sure that I was okay on the way home. Vilkas could tell when the jabbering was beginning to tire me, as he would manage to shoo away my visitors before they could entirely wear me out. Vilkas had been perfect since we left the camp. Neither of us had to say anything to solidify our feelings; we had a non-verbal understanding that we loved each other. _Not that I would mind actually hearing him say it…_

I saw the College members off when we reached Whiterun, and thanked Collette for saving me. "_Well, I couldn't let the only person on my side at the College die, now, could I?"_

Vilkas carried me from the horse that we had both ridden on, all the way to Jorvaskr. When I asked him why he didn't take me to Breezehome, he told me that he wanted me near, at least until I had healed. I could see the small smirk he wore. _That's definitely the only reason he wants me near to him._

Vilkas immediately took me to his bedroom. I had only been in the dark room a few times, and just like every other time, it was covered in papers, books, armor, and weapons. I was asleep by the time my head hit the pillow. The last thing I remember is the feeling of Vilkas' arms wrapping around me and feeling a kiss on my neck. _I could get used to this._

* * *

AN: She's been rescued! I like the way this chapter turned out… I think. Thanks for reading and don't forget to _**REVIEW!**_


	20. Chapter 20

AN: I'm back! I finally got over trying to make myself write with a schedule. It doesn't work, and anything I tried to write sucked. I apparently suck at force writing. I'm just going to update when I'm in the mood, which is generally every week and a half. I hope that isn't too long for any of you! I guess it doesn't really matter, seeing as I'm wrapping this story up with this chapter!

It's been a great learning experience. I went back and reread my first chapter and almost threw up with how choppy and second grader-ish it sounded. Maybe my most recent stuff sounds like a refined second grader, but that's still improvement. _Right?_

I want to thank anyone who has read my story, and especially want to thank my reviewers. You guys are what made me motivated enough to continue on with this story, even at its lowest points. I thought about giving up on it, but I knew that someone somewhere was enjoying this. I didn't want to be _that_ author that just stops writing after such a long time. I hate it, and didn't want to become one of those people. So, yeah. Thanks for everything!

This chapter is more of an epilogue type chapter than a full-blown chapter. I wrote it to tie up loose ends, so naturally it isn't going to be long as the other installments!

Now, for the last time, onto the chapter!

* * *

The weeks began to blur by after the attack on the Silver Hand, and my rescue. Everyone had settled back into normal routines, including myself. I laughed at myself. _Well, I guess it isn't exactly the same._

After returning from Fort Fellhammer, Vilkas had become an immovable fixture in my life. At any given point in the day, I could say his name, and he would be there.

Growing up, I had never been one to have romantic relationships. When you grow up on a farm in the middle of a forest, you don't exactly have that chance. _I only hope I don't screw this up somehow; it's not like I know what I'm doing._

Standing up from my seat under the veranda behind Jorvaskr, I decided practice would take my mind off of my emotional thoughts. I stepped out of the shade and went to my specially made stone dummy. I had been attempting master level spells recently; at best, they blew up in my face. Obviously, Vilkas wasn't aware of the literal explosive failures, or I wouldn't be able to practice them without him having a coronary. _I'm going to get this right. _

I cleared my mind. There was my magicka, the dummy, and myself. Nothing else mattered in the world at that moment. I breathed in deep and focused on the movements that master level spells required. I went through the forms a few times, until I had them memorized perfectly. _This is it._

I took control of the magicka running in my veins before starting the movements. The air around me was crackling with energy as I neared the end of the form. Moments before I could release the beam of electricity, something went wrong. Next thing I knew, I was being hurled through the air towards Jorvaskr. _Oh, shit! _I hit the wall with a solid thump, and then blacked out.

* * *

I groaned. _Why in Oblivion am I hurting so much?_ I felt a wet cloth press onto my forehead. The frail voice of Tilma entered my ears. "You're okay, dear. Aela found you outside collapsed against the wall. She heard a thump against the wall and went to investigate."

I forced my eyes to open. Someone had brought me to Vilkas' bedroom. I was extremely thankful for the dark environment. _At least it won't hurt my eyes. _I went to ask a question, but only a croaking sound came out. _Eww._ Tilma gave me some water and I was finally able to speak in a hoarse voice. "I'm assuming Vilkas isn't here, am I right? He would've flipped."

Tilma let out a small laugh. "No dear, he still hasn't come back." Tilma gave me a joking smile. "Honestly, it's a good thing he isn't. It would've been much harder to tend to you with him in the way!"

I smiled back to the kindly old woman chatter. Apparently, I had a huge bruise on my back and two burns in the center of my palms. Other than that, I had come out relatively unscathed. Finally, she asked what happened.

A blush covered my face. "I had a bit of a misfire. My spell backfired on me. This isn't the first time it's happened; maybe I'm just not ready for Master level spells?"

At Tilma's disapproving look, I realized what I said. My stomach dropped. _If she is like this, then Vilkas will be crazy protective._ "Well, none of the blasts have been like _that_. I tried to do a lightning spell for the first time; lightning is the most unpredictable of the elemental types. I shouldn't have tried it until I had the other two mastered." Her glare didn't relent. "Please don't tell Vilkas. All it will do is worry him."

Finally Tilma stopped my rambling. "I won't tell him, but if it happens again, I will. You are the Arch-Mage; I trust you to be careful. You know when to stop." I gave Tilma a thankful smile. She returned it and told me to get some more rest as she was walking out. I nodded and immediately succumbed to the darkness.

* * *

I wasn't sure what time it was when I woke up again; all I was aware of were the muscular arms wrapped around me. I smiled as I realized that Vilkas must've arrived at some point in the night and went to sleep beside me.

I attempted to unravel myself from his hold, and was rewarded with an even tighter hold on me. Accepting my fate, I laid back down in his arms. I rolled around to look up at his face. His lips were parted just a bit and his hair was unkempt. I reached up slowly and traced the lines of his face. The roughness of his stubble made me smile. _I love this man. I think it's time to start wearing that Amulet of Mara_. With that thought, I fell back to sleep with a smile on my face.

* * *

Again, I woke up. This time, I could feel that it was still morning. I shakily rose from the bed, wary of the pain in my back and the tenderness of my hands. Once I was steadily on my feet, I walked up to the entrance hall of Jorvaskr to find something to eat.

I sat at the table and began munching on a sweet roll absently. _I need to go find that Amulet of Mara in Breezehome._ I had been in one of the Nordic ruins scattered across Skyrim when I found the Amulet in a coffer. Planning on selling it, I kept the trinket, only to stow it away in a chest when I got home.

When I was done with my sweet roll, I rose from the table and headed for the doors. Before I could leave, Tilma stopped me. "Isabelle, dear, I had Aela make sure no one would speak of your… accident yesterday to Vilkas."

I hugged the old lady. "Thank you so much, Tilma!" She nodded at me and I was off again. I hobbled halfway to Breezehome before I attempted a healing spell. _Am I really that stupid?_ The spell healed the burns on my hands completely. The bruise on my back quit hurting, but it was still there plain as day. _Whatever. I can live with it until it goes away._

I finished the trek to my house quickly after that. When I went in, I realized that I hadn't been in my house since I ran off to Winterhold after my argument with Vilkas. Everything was coated in a layer of dust. Shame washed over me. _I can't just run away every time we have an argument._

I trudged past the kitchen area and went upstairs to my bedroom. I got down on my knees in front of the chest where I put my valuables. After a few minutes of digging, I pulled the Amulet out. It was a little tarnished, but it would do. I stood up took off my Amulet of Julianos and replaced it with the Amulet of Mara.

The unfamiliar weight settled just below my collarbone. _Hopefully I won't have to wear it for very long. _I brushed the dust off of my robe before heading back out of Breezehome. Then I realized that I wasn't entirely sure what I was going to do for the rest of the day. I wasn't sure where Vilkas was, and there weren't any jobs waiting for me. I slowly headed back to Jorvaskr. About half way there, a man who appeared to be a traveler stopped me. "An Amulet of Mara? I'm supposed someone like you isn't spoken for."

I blanched. All I could do was stare in shock at the man in front of me. I mumbled a quick apology and took off as fast as I could to Jorvaskr, with my head down. My face was so red that I could have put the best of tomatoes to shame. In my haste to get up the stairs leading to Jorvaskr, I slammed straight into someone. I heard a yell, then both of us were sent tumbling to the bottom of the stairs.

I gasped, trying to breath. The wind had been knocked from me, and I heard laughter beside me. I looked to my right and saw Vilkas sprawled on the ground letting out loud guffaws that could barely be passed for laughter. When I finally managed to pull some air into my lungs, I began to hysterically giggle.

We both finally got ourselves under control and realized everyone in the cloud district had stopped and were staring at us. I scrambled up and walked up the stairs quickly and waited for Vilkas at the top. I led him around the building to the practice area behind Jorvaskr before turning to face him.

When I turned around Vilkas still wore a smirk on his face. After a few seconds, the smirk dropped and turned into a shocked look. _Why is he looking at me like that? _"So. You're looking to get married?"

I choked on my own spit. _Oh damn. _I calmed myself down, and nodded. I didn't trust myself to speak without betraying how nervous I actually was.

Vilkas just nodded. I stared at him for a few seconds, expecting him to say _something_. "Well?"

Vilkas just let out a small laugh at my impatient tone. Before I could catch him on fire, he spoke. "Isabelle, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Even though I had been expecting the words, they still sent a warm feeling all over my body. "I don't know. I'll have to consider it. A lovely man, didn't catch his name, asked for my hand in marriage today in the market. I need to weigh my options." I wanted to get a reaction out of Vilkas, and get a reaction I did.

Immediately, I was squished against Vilkas' chest. "Someone asked you to marry them? Who was he? Everyone in Whiterun knows we are together. Besides, no one else would treat you as well as I would."

I smiled at his possessive nature. "Obviously. I was joking. About weighing my options, not being proposed to today. I think he was a hunter or something. I've never seen him before, and I doubt he wants me now. He asked and I think I may have made a sound that was a cross between drowning and choking before running away. Then I fell down the stairs with you. Yes, Vilkas, I will marry you."

Vilkas captured my lips in a soul-stirring kiss. _I don't think I'll ever get tired of this._ _Well, I guess I should go ahead and do it. _"I love you, Vilkas."

A brilliant smile lit up his face. "I love you, too, Isabelle."

There is no way to describe the feeling of having someone love you, unconditionally. I hadn't realized how much I needed to hear those words from Vilkas until he just spoke them. Tears pricked at my eyes, but I pushed them back. _I didn't manage to fight my way into the ranks of the Companions, just to cry over something sentimental!_ Vilkas saw the tears welling up in my eyes and just pulled me closer to him. _Oh what the hell. _I let loose the waterworks.

* * *

"... and I became a blubbering idiot on your father's shoulder that day. The end." I finished the bedtime story that my children asked for at least once a week, and smiled at their sleeping faces. This one always put them to sleep. I laughed a little at that. _Honestly, what child would even care enough to stay awake to hear their parents kissing?_

After getting married, Vilkas and I moved into Breezehome. As much as we loved Whiterun, we didn't feel as though we had much privacy, even in our own home. We decided to save up our money and buy a plot of land near Falkreath. It overlooked a lake, and it was just a bit off of the main road. Both of us had fallen in love with it immediately.

We had slowly but surely built up the home to the sprawling manor it is today. Not even a year after we had been married, I became pregnant. Nine months later, little Radding came into the world. As he had more of Vilkas' Nordic looks, we decided to give him a Nordic name. We had decided to stay in Whiterun until he had been born. Shortly after that, we moved to the new house we had, then, just finished building.

Two years later, I became pregnant again. I had been hoping for a girl that time, and had my wish granted. Amarie had immediately favored me, so she received a traditional Breton name. Her birth had been three years ago, and even now, she was showing signs of magicka. Just as my mother had found me one night, I found Amarie laughing with a weak conjured familiar guarding her. Radding had idolized his father, and that also meant he wanted to learn to wield a sword as soon as possible. He had never shown any real interest in magic.

Kissing both of my children, I rose and exited their bedroom quietly. I walked upstairs and stepped out onto the balcony to stand next to Vilkas and look at the lake. The moon was reflecting on the slightly choppy water, causing the lake to shimmer in the moonlight. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Vilkas gave a hum of satisfaction and I just enjoyed his warmth. After a few minutes of silence, I broke it again. "I never thought I would have this life. Even as a little girl, I never dreamed of being married and having children. When I was old enough to go try my hand at being a Companion, I set off to do just that. Nothing else fit into my plans. Then, I started to fall in love with you. Then my plans began changing completely. Now I'm here, with the man I love, and my three children." I smiled as I finished, continuing to look out at the lake. I wanted to see if he would catch the last bit of my sentence.

After a few seconds of silence, I felt Vilkas go rigid. I began laughing as he jerked his head down to look at me with wide eyes. He spoke excitedly. "Are you sure?"

I let out a happy laugh and turned to him with a smile on my face. "I'm positive. I went into Falkreath a few days ago, while Rayya watched the children, to make sure that I really am pregnant again."

Vilkas let out a happy laugh before hugging me tightly. As he excitedly began talking about what to name the baby if it was a boy or a girl and what kind of personality he or she would have, I began to think of what a different man Vilkas had become since I joined the Companions.

I sent a thankful prayer up to the heavens as Vilkas continued on about the new baby. What I told Vilkas had been the truth; I never did plan to have a family. Now, I couldn't imagine living without Vilkas, Radding, or Amalie. I just smiled and laid my head down on Vilkas' chest and listened as he continued on about the new addition to our family. _I don't know what I did to deserve such a perfect life, but thank Talos that I found this man. _

Vilkas continued chattering excitedly until I covered his lips with my own. _Just because I'm pregnant again doesn't mean that I'm going to go easy on him. I'm going to give him hell, this time I think. _With a smirk, I led Vilkas inside. Needless to say, he followed like a lost puppy.

* * *

AN: Oh. My. God. It's done. I don't know what to think. I figured that this chapter would be shorter than the others, but it wasn't. As a matter of fact, it was one of the longer chapters. So, did you guys like the ending?

As you could tell, by the end, Isabelle had been telling the story of joining the Companions to her children. That's what this story was supposed to be, was her retelling the story. The children's names weren't just random names either. I went to a name generator for Skyrim characters, based on their race and gender. It is called Tamriel Rebuilt, if you're interested!

I can't believe that it's over. I started this story in January and now it is almost July. That is seven months. That is also the longest that I've ever worked on anything. I am so proud of myself for writing this. It proved to me that anyone could write. I used to see those 40,000 word fanfictions or longer and think _who can possibly do that?_ Now, I have done it. If you haven't ever written fanfiction, try! That's how I got started; now I'm not so terrified to do it anymore!

Thank you guys so much for encouraging me to continue writing this. I am so very glad that I didn't give up, even though I wanted to sometimes. You guys just don't understand how much you inspired me to keep writing. This story is finished just as much because of you guys as it is because of me!

The ending was actually the hardest to write chapter that I think I've ever tried to write. Apparently endings are hard to write. Who'd have thought?

Thank you guys so much, and I'm really sorry about the long AN, but it's my last for this story, so… Deal with it. Jk!

My words of advice to anyone that loves fanfiction, but hasn't written anything: you won't get better if you don't write. It took me literally four years of reading fanfictions to get the nerve to actually write one. This was my first, and I'm pretty dang proud of it. Get to writing, you guys!

Thank you, and see ya later!


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